Attitudes of Hispanic, Black, and Caucasion University Students Toward Mental Illness

Abstract

The attitudes of 309 Anglo, Spanish American, and Black American subjects toward mental illness were investigated. Both the Black and Hispanic college students had significantly higher Authoritarianism scores and Blacks had higher Social Restrictiveness scores on the Opinions about Mental Illness Scale, indicating more negative attitudes toward mental patients. Benevolence scores, indicating a paternalistic attitude toward the mentally ill, were lower for Blacks than for Hispanics or Caucasians. The three groups showed no significant differences in their beliefs that mental illness was an illness like any other and in their beliefs that mental illness arises from personal experience.