HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS British Journal of Psychiatry Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mukherjee, R. Articles by Surgenor, T. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Mukherjee, R. Articles by Surgenor, T.

The stigmatisation of psychiatric illness

the attitudes of medical students and doctors in a London teaching hospital

St George's Hospital Medical School Psychiatric Rotation

Antonio Fialho, Senior House Officer

St George's Hospital Medical School Psychiatric Rotation

Aruna Wijetunge, Senior House Officer

St George's Hospital Medical School Psychiatric Rotation

Ken Checinski, Senior Lecturer

Department of Addictive Behaviour and Psychological Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, London SW17 0RF

Tammy Surgenor, Clinical Psychologist

North Southwark Child and Families Service

AIMS AND METHOD

To study the attitudes and opinions of doctors and medical students with regard to psychiatric illness a questionnaire was sent to all medical students (832) and all doctors of all grades (441) at a London teaching hospital.

RESULTS

A total of 520 questionnaires were returned. More than 50% felt that people with schizophrenia and drug and alcohol addiction were dangerous and unpredictable. It was felt by the majority that people were not to blame for their conditions and there were low negative responses towards lack of treatability for a majority of conditions.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

There were more optimistic views with regard to treatment than the general population. There appeared to be a lessening in stigma as experience increased. This would suggest that early improved education and exposure in the future may lead to a greater decline in stigmatised attitudes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J S. Bell, R. Johns, G. Rose, and T. F Chen A Comparative Study of Consumer Participation in Mental Health Pharmacy Education Ann. Pharmacother., October 1, 2006; 40(10): 1759 - 1765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Tipper, D. Mountain, S. Lorimer, and A. McIntosh Support workers' attitudes to mental illness: implications for reducing stigma Psychiatr. Bull., May 1, 2006; 30(5): 179 - 181. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Adshead Healing ourselves: ethical issues in the care of sick doctors Advan. Psychiatr. Treat., September 1, 2005; 11(5): 330 - 337. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Kingdon, T. Sharma, D. Hart, and The Schizophrenia Subgroup of The Royal College of What attitudes do psychiatrists hold towards people with mental illness? Psychiatr. Bull., November 1, 2004; 28(11): 401 - 406. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters: