Attitude of the population to schizophrenic patients in 6 federal German large cities

In a research project of the German Research Network on Schizophrenia, public attitudes towards people with schizophrenia were studied within a public education project. In six German cities, 7,246 persons aged 16 or older were interviewed in a telephone survey. Knowledge of schizophrenia, social distance, and proposals for activities to improve the public acceptance of mentally ill persons were inquired. Most of the persons interviewed expressed positive attitudes towards people with schizophrenia. Better public education about mental illnesses and the opportunity for closer contact to mentally ill persons were rated as important to improve the public acceptance of these individuals.