Community attitudes towards the mentally ill in Serbia

Abstract

Introduction. Integration of the mentally ill into the community is one of the essential objectives of social rehabilitation. Deinstitutionalization is one of the central points of contemporary mental health reforms across the world. The acceptance of people with mental health problems in the general population is an important factor in determining the success of implementing deinstitutionalization strategies. Furthermore, medical students during their education attain knowledge about mental health problems as standard part of their curriculum. Quantifying the outlook towards people with mental health problems in future doctors is an important determinant of prospective community-based care. Aim. Assessment of community attitudes towards the mentally ill in a representative sample of General Population, as well as in future medical doctors in Serbia. Method. This cross-sectional study involved 1068 Serbian speaking adult subjects: 562 medical students and 506 subjects from the general population. Assessment of attitudes was measured by Community Attitudes Towards the Mentally Ill. Four dimensions of attitudes were extracted: Authoritarianism, Benevolence, Social Restrictiveness and Community Mental Health Ideology. Results. Medical Students showed more favorable attitudes across all dimensions when compared to the representative sample of General Population. In the General Population, less years of education were associated with higher levels of Authoritarian attitudes towards the mentally ill. Female gender was consistently associated with greater Benevolence, irrespective of group affiliation. Conclusion. Existing positive attitudes towards the mentally ill in the Serbian community suggest that once legislative proceedings for better integration of the mentally ill in the broader society are initiated, we can expect fast and admirable effects in the community management. Focused educational and anti-stigma interventions targeting the general population should be devised.