Titre :
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Public conceptions of mental illness : Labels, causes, dangerousness, and social distance. (1999)
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Auteurs :
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B.G. LINK ;
M. BRESNAHAN ;
B.A. PESCOSOLIDO ;
J.C. PHELAN ;
A. STUEVE ;
Division of Epidemiology. Mailman School of Public Health. Columbia University. New York. NY. USA
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Type de document :
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Article
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Dans :
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American journal of public health (vol. 89, n° 9, 1999)
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Pagination :
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1328-1333
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Langues:
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Anglais
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Mots-clés :
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Opinion publique
;
Santé mentale
;
Homme
;
Croyance
;
Etats Unis
;
Amérique
;
Attitude
;
Amérique du Nord
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Résumé :
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[BDSP. Notice produite par INIST vQR0xbIr. Diffusion soumise à autorisation]. Objectives. The authors used nationwide survey data to characterize current public conceptions related to recognition of mental illness and perceived causes, dangerousness, and desired social distance. Methods. Data were derived from a vignette experiment inciuded in the 1996 General Social Survey. Respondents (n=1444) were randomly assigned to I of 5 vignette conditions. Four vignettes described psychiatric disorders meeting diagnostic criteria, and the fifth depicted a "troubled person" with sub-clinical problems and worries. Results. Results indicate that the majority of the public identifies schizophrenia (88%) and major depression (69%) as mental illnesses and that most report multicausal explanations combining stressful circumstances with biologic and genetic factors. Results also show, however, that smaller proportions associate alcohol (49%) or drug (44%) abuse with mental illness and that symptoms of mental illness remain strongly connected with public fears about potential violence and with a desire for limited social interaction. Conclusions. While there is reason for optimism in the public's recognition of mental illness and causal attributions, a strong stereotype of dangerousness and desire for social distance persist. These latter conceptions are likely to negatively affect people with mental illness.
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