A comparison of attitudes towards mental illness and knowledge of mental health services between Australian and Asian students.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether Asian immigrants in Australia differed from Anglo-Australians in terms of attitudes towards mental illness, and knowledge of mental health services. A questionnaire was administered to 140 university students, including 63 Anglo-Australian students, 47 Asian students, and 30 students from European backgrounds. The results showed that there was a significant ethnic difference in terms of attitudes towards mental illness, and knowledge of mental health services. Furthermore, Asians who spoke a language other than English at home knew less about services for acute mental illness.