Knowledge and attitudes about mental illness: a survey of middle school students.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the many studies of public attitudes toward mental illnesses, relatively few have examined the views of the youngest generation of citizens. This study was intended to increase understanding of youths' views of mental illness by developing and administering measures of knowledge and attitudes of middle school students toward mental illnesses. METHODS: Self-report questionnaires concerning knowledge, attitudes, and social distance related to mental illness were developed and pilot-tested to create an assessment tool appropriate for a juvenile sample. The measures were administered to 193 students at four middle schools in different parts of the United States between November 2008 and April 2009. RESULTS: The students' knowledge about mental illness was inconsistent, but important gaps were evident, particularly with respect to the symptoms of specific disorders. Attitudes toward individuals with a mental illness were generally positive, but substantial numbers of students had less favorable attitudes. Social distance scores revealed considerable reluctance to interact closely with a person with mental illness. Most (65%) students were uncertain whether mental illnesses have a biological cause, and 37% believed that medication to treat mental illness is useful. CONCLUSIONS: Attitudes toward individuals with mental illnesses may be more favorable among students than among adults. Nevertheless, stigma may persist as a problem for the next generation of citizens, and youths with a mental illness remain likely to experience misunderstanding and exclusion by peers. There is a need to educate children about specific disorders and about acceptance of individuals with mental illness.

Changing Knowledge and Attitudes with a Middle School Mental Health Education Curriculum.

PURPOSE: This research tested the effectiveness of a widely used mental health education curriculum in changing knowledge and attitudes about mental illness. METHOD: Middle school students from four schools were provided the Breaking the Silence: Teaching the Next Generation About Mental Illness mental health instruction while students from other classes at the same schools received usual class instruction. Students completed questionnaires assessing knowledge, attitudes, and social distance preferences before, immediately after, and six weeks after the instruction was given. RESULTS: Students given the Breaking the Silence instruction showed improvements in knowledge about mental illness, attitudes toward mental illness, and willingness to interact with people with mental illnesses. Students in the comparison classes showed no changes. CONCLUSIONS: Breaking the Silence was an effective means of improving the knowledge and attitudes of middle school students about mental illness. IMPLICATIONS: An easy-to-administer and effective curriculum, Breaking the Silence is available to teachers and schools to help improve understanding and acceptance of people with mental illness. Such a curriculum, introduced during childhood and adolescence, may help to prevent the negative attitudes and misunderstanding that characterize adult perceptions of mental illness.