Chong Siow Ann, Verma Swapna, Vaingankar Janhavi Ajit, Chan Yiong Huak, Wong Lai Yin, Heng Bee Hoon
Institute of Mental Health, 10, Buangkok View, Singapore, 539747, Singapore.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2007 Sep;42(9):734-9. doi: 10.1007/s00127-007-0213-0. Epub 2007 Jun 27.
This study assessed public perceptions and attitudes towards and causal beliefs about mental health problems in Singapore - a multi-racial country in South-East Asia.
A nation-wide survey using a structured questionnaire was conducted on those aged between 15 and 69 years.
The overall response rate was 68.1% with a total of 2,632 respondents. About 38.3% (95% CI, 36.4-40.2) believed that people with mental health problems were dangerous and 49.6% (95% CI, 47.7-51.5) felt that the public should be protected from them. A negative attitude towards mental health problems correlated with greater age and less education. The Chinese were more likely to want to hide their illness should they become mentally unwell while the Malays seemed to have a more tolerant attitude (P = 0.032).
Public awareness and anti-stigma campaigns should focus on those commonly held misconceptions and target specific populations.
本研究评估了新加坡（东南亚的一个多民族国家）公众对心理健康问题的认知、态度及因果信念。
对15至69岁的人群进行了一项使用结构化问卷的全国性调查。
总体回应率为68.1%，共有2632名受访者。约38.3%（95%可信区间，36.4 - 40.2）的人认为有心理健康问题的人具有危险性，49.6%（95%可信区间，47.7 - 51.5）的人觉得公众应受到保护以免接触这类人群。对心理健康问题的消极态度与年龄较大和受教育程度较低相关。华人若出现精神问题则更倾向于隐瞒病情，而马来人似乎态度更为宽容（P = 0.032）。
公众意识和反污名化运动应聚焦于那些普遍存在的误解，并针对特定人群。
