Statistics on Adults' Attitudes to Mental Illness in UK 2003

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 04 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PDT


The survey presents data from the seventh survey of attitudes to mental illness in Great Britain and was carried out in February 2003 by RSGB Omnibus, a Division of Taylor Nelson Sofres. Nearly 2,000 people took part.

The Department of Health commissioned a set of questions on the RSGB Omnibus. From 1993 to 1997 the questions were asked annually and thereafter every third year. Respondents were asked to say to what extent they agreed or disagreed with various statements about mental health.

Among the key findings are:

• Attitudes towards people with mental illness stayed about the same between 1993 and 2000 but they have become slightly worse between 2000 and 2003.

• The vast majority of respondents have a caring and sympathetic view of people with mental illness with 89% of respondents agreeing that society has a responsibility to provide them with the best possible care. This compares with 94% in 2000.

• 83% said that society needed to adopt a far more tolerant attitude towards those suffering from mental illness.

• 78% thought felt that people with mental illness have for too long been the subject of ridicule.

• 74% agreed that mental illness is an illness like any other.

• 20% of respondents said there is something about people with mental illness that makes it easy to tell them from normal people.

Notes to editors

1. The survey findings are based on personal interviews with a sample of 1897 adults aged 16+ in 130 sampling points in Great Britain in February 2003. The survey was commissioned by the Department of Health and carried out by RSGB Omnibus, a division of Taylor Nelson Sofres.

2. A copy of the report and a copy of the survey tabulations can be found on the Department's website.

3. Results from four other mental health surveys are also being published today (27 June 2003) by the Office for National Statistics and are also detailed on the Department's website. These are:

i. The Mental Health of Young People Looked After by Local Authorities (now the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills)

ii Persistence and onset of Childhood Mental Disorders

iii. Supplementary Report of the Mental Health of Older People in Great Britain.

iv 18 month follow up to the 2000 Adults Psychiatric Morbidity Survey

Related links
Attitudes to Mental Illness in Great Britain
http://www.dh.gov.uk/ExternalLink?EXTERNAL_LINK=http%3A//www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/england.htm

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