169219 Public conceptions of serious mental illness, its causes and treatments: New findings from the 2006 General Social Survey

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 4:48 PM

Sara Kuppin, DrPH , Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program, Columbia University, New York, NY
Richard M. Carpiano, PhD, MA, MPH , Sociology, University of Britich Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  
Objectives. We examined the degree to which lay beliefs about the causes of depression and schizophrenia may predict beliefs about what constitutes appropriate treatment.

Methods. We analyzed randomized vignette data from the 2006 General Social Survey (n= 1181).

Results. Beliefs in biological causes (e.g. chemical imbalance, genes) were significantly associated with the endorsement of professionally, biologically focused treatments (e.g. prescription medication, psychiatrist, mental hosptialization).

Conclusions. Lay beliefs about the biological versus nonbiological causes of depression and schizophrenia are related to beliefs regarding appropriate treatment. Results from 2006 data are similar to those reported from the 1996 General Social Survey. Implications for the constructing effective public health messages regarding treatment are discussed.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the relationship between public conceptions of the cause of depression and schizophrenia and appropriate treatment options as demostrated in the analysis of the 2006 General Social Survey data. 2. Identify which of the models of the relationship between beliefs about cause of mental illness and treatment orientation is most commonly ascribed to by the American pubic as indicated in the analysis of the 2006 General Social Survey data. 3. Discuss implications of findings for the construction of effective messages regarding treatment for depression and schizophrenia.

Keywords: Mental Illness, Public Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a research fellow in Columbia University's PET program and have a previously published paper in AJPH on the 1996 General Social Survey data (which is publicly available data).
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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