Public stigma in children towards people with mental illness

Abstract

We analyzed how the familiarity that adults had with mental illness and the more or less positive appraisal of their experiences in this regard influenced the stigma of their children. Stigma was measured in terms of children's refusal to help a peer with mental illness. The sample consisted of 56 children in sixth grade and one legal guardian each. The Attribution Questionnaire-8 for Children, the Level Of Familiarity scale and a Likert scale were used for assessment. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between adult familiarity and child stigma. The higher the familiarity, the lower the stigma. It was debated whether or not the stigmatizing attitudes measured would really be stigmatizing in childhood, and it was recommended that further research be carried out and that the Attribution Questionnaire-8 for Children be validated in Spain.