Beliefs about the mentally ill: a comparative study between healthcare professionals in Brazil and in Switzerland.

Objective: Little is known in our own as well as in other cultures about the knowledge and prejudices mental health professionals have about mental illness and those affected. We therefore: 1) assessed mental health literacy and general attitudes towards people with mental illness in a sample of Brazilian mental health professionals; 2) compared the outcomes among the different professional groups; and 3) compared the data with a sample of Swiss mental health professionals.

Methods: A questionnaire used to assess knowledge and attitudes towards the mentally ill among mental health professionals in Switzerland was translated into Portuguese.