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Do psychiatric units at general hospitals attract less stigmatizing attitudes compared with psychiatric hospitals?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 September 2012

G. Schomerus ,
H. Matschinger  and
M.C. Angermeyer
G. Schomerus*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Greifswald University, Stralsund, Germany HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany
H. Matschinger
Affiliation:
Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
M.C. Angermeyer
Affiliation:
Centro di Psichiatria di Consultazione e Psicosomatica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari and AOU Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr Georg Schomerus, Department of Psychiatry, University of Greifswald, Rostocker Chaussee 70, 17437 Stralsund, Germany. (Email: georg.schomerus@uni-greifswald.de)
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Abstract

Aims.

It is often assumed that psychiatric units at general hospitals attract less stigma than do specialized psychiatric hospitals, but so far this has not been examined empirically.

Methods.

We conducted a representative population survey in Germany (n = 2410) in order to compare attitudes towards psychiatric units and attitudes towards psychiatric hospitals. Two subsamples were presented with identical items concerning either psychiatric units or hospitals. We conducted multinomial logit analyses of answer categories to detect any differences in attitudes.

Results.

A majority of respondents held favourable opinions of psychiatric in-patient care at both psychiatric units and psychiatric hospitals. Attitudes towards units and hospitals did not differ meaningfully.

Conclusions.

The influence of location on the image of psychiatric care has been over-estimated. We discuss other implications of locating psychiatric care at general hospitals.

Keywords

Mental health carepopulation surveypsychiatric hospitalstigma
Type
Original Articles
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , June 2013 , pp. 163 - 168
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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