ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes toward the mentally ill, identify the factors influencing their attitudes of administration clerks in national and private mental hospitals, and to get basic data to develop education program and the strategy to treatment of mental illness. METHODS: Total 166 administration clerks working in the two national mental hospital and four private mental hospital were interviewed by Community Attitudes to the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale. RESULTS: The administration clerks who working in the mental hospital showed generally sympathetic and positive attitudes in all CAMI scales like other community residents and mental health personnels. Administration clerks working in national mental hospitals showed more positive attitudes in authoritarianism subscale than those in private mental hospitals. Females who live in township areas (myeon), are low educated and have shorter duration of employment in national mental hospitals had relatively negative attitudes toward the mentally ill. Administration clerks working in private mental hospitals showed less significant differences according toward demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: It will be necessary to give information and systematic education about mental health for those who have negative attitude toward mentally ill, especially in the early period of employment. Further investigations should include comparison between characteristics of administration clerks working in national and private mental hospitals and change in attitudes after systematic education.