The stigma of mental illness in Germany: a trend analysis

BACKGROUND: While there are some indications that the mental health literacy of the public has improved within recent years, the findings concerning its attitudes towards the mentally ill are quite inconsistent. AIMS: The aim of this study is to examine whether any changes have taken place in Germany over the last decade regarding the stigmatisation of mentally ill people. METHOD: In 2001, a representative population survey was carried out among the German adult population, using the same sampling procedure and the same measure for the assessment of perceived stigma as in a previous survey that had been conducted in 1990. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that in 2001, the German public was somewhat less inclined to believe that former mental patients are exposed to stigmatisation than a decade ago. While this holds especially true for the devaluation of patients, the picture is more mixed for discrimination. The trend towards less perceived stigmatisation is particularly pronounced among people who are familiar with psychiatric treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Since a substantial amount of perceived stigma still persists, further efforts to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness are needed.