Public attitudes towards mental patients: a comparison between Novosibirsk, Bratislava and German cities.

Purpose: It is commonly assumed that reforms in the sector of psychiatric care have contributed to reducing the stigma attached to mental illness. In order to examine whether a relation between the psychiatric care set-up and stigmatisation of the patients exists we compared public attitudes towards mental patients in three countries at differing stages of progress in psychiatric reform.

Methods: Population surveys on public attitudes towards mental patients were conducted in Novosibirsk (Russia) and Bratislava (Slovakia). The data were compared with those from a population survey that had recently been carried out in Germany. In all three surveys the same sampling procedure and fully structured interview were used. Public attitude towards mental patients was elicited using a perceived devaluation-discrimination measure.

Results: Psychiatric patients face considerable rejection in all three locations in question. Overall, the degree of perceived devaluation and discrimination was similar in all countries with a significant, but marginal tendency towards stronger devaluation of mental patients in Germany.

Conclusion: Our results do not support a strong relationship between psychiatric reform and mental illness stigma.