"Little is known about possible differences in the attitudes toward schizophrenia between the general public and various healthcare professionals. After screening for the study enrollment, 197 subjects in the general population, 100 psychiatric staff (other than psychiatrists), 112 physicians (other than psychiatrists) and 36 psychiatrists were enrolled in a web-based survey using an Internet-based questionnaire format," scientists in Tokyo, Japan report.
"To assess subjects' attitudes toward schizophrenia, we used a 13-item questionnaire created by Ucok et al. (2006), to which five items were added. These 18 items were subjected to exploratory factor analysis, which yielded three factors classified as ''stigma,'' ''underestimation of patients' abilities,'' and ''skepticism regarding treatment.'' These factors were compared between the four groups using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for potential confounders. The ANCOVA for the ''stigma'' factor showed that psychiatrists scored significantly lower than the other three groups. The ANCOVA for the ''underestimation of patients' abilities'' factor revealed that psychiatric staff scored significantly lower than the general population. The present results indicated that attitudes toward schizophrenia consist of at least three separable factors," wrote H. Hori and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: "Psychiatrists had the least negative attitudes toward schizophrenia, which was followed by the psychiatric staff, and attitudes of the general population and of physicians were equally stigmatizing."
Hori and colleagues published their study in Psychiatry Research (Attitudes toward schizophrenia in the general population, psychiatric staff, physicians, and psychiatrists: A web-based survey in Japan. Psychiatry Research, 2011;186(2-3):183-189).
For more information, contact H. Hori, National Center Neurology & Psychiatry, Dept. of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute Neuroscience, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 1878502, JAPAN.
Publisher contact information for the journal Psychiatry Research is: Elsevier Ireland Ltd., Elsevier House, Brookvale Plaza, East Park Shannon, Co. Clare, Ireland.
Keywords: City:Tokyo, Country:Japan, Region:Asia, Asia, Japan, Mental Health, Psychiatric, Psychiatry, Schizophrenia
This article was prepared by China Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, China Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
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