Attitudes To Mental Patients Among Hong Kong Chinese: a Trend Study Over Two Years

Abstract

A telephone survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1273 Chinese in Hong Kong to examine public attitudes to the mentally ill and mental health rehabilitation facilities. Attitudes were compared with a study using the same measures carried out two years previously. Results indicated that public concern about their mental health and their attitudes to mental patients was decreased and became more negative slightly, respectively. On the other hand, their knowledge of mental illness and attitudes to community care of mental patients were improved slightly. Their views on the mentally ill were found to be associated with their contacts with mental patients and their socioeconomic variables including age and education, but not sex.