| Public Attitude and Opinion Toward Mental Illness in Cheju, Korea |
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Min Jung |
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Department of Nursing, Hanla College, Cheju-Do |
| 정신장애에 대한 제주인의 인식과 태도 |
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정 민 |
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한라전문대학 간호과 |
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| Abstract |
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This study was attempted to describe the public attitude and opinion toward mental illness in Cheju, Korea. The subjects were 129 adults residing in Che judo. Structural interview was used to ask about attitudes, opinions toward mental illness or mentally ill persons.
Opinions about the signs of mental illness were divided 6 categories : bizarre behavior (47.4%), aggressive behavior(16.4%), withrawal (17.7%), inadequate thought (8.6%), inadequate emotion(4.3%), others (5.6%).
Opinions about the cause of mental illness were divided 3 categories : sociopsychological (59.9%), supernatural (18.8%), physical (16.9%).
Opinions about the treatment of mental illness were divided 6 categories ; folk psychological (36.8%), supernatural(28%), modern psychiatric (26.1%), other folk(3.9%), primitive medicine (1.7%), others(3.4%).
Prognostic outlooks of mental illness were generally pessimistic.
Attitudes about mentally ill person were divided 6 categories : pity(43.6%), unwellness( 21%), fear (14.9%), fear and pity(10.2%), curosity(7.1%), indifference (3.1%).
66.9% of the subjects would feel shameful, if one of their family members were mentally ill, and also 65.4% of the subjects would not frankly their friends know this fact. 62% of the subjects preferred home treatment to hospital treatment and 60.9% of the subjects regard psychiatric hospital to be the place in which mentally ill patients are confined and gen erally attitudes for the open ward policy of mental hospital was negative.
Considering the results in view of cheju community mental health, positive and humanistic attitudes would have favorable aspects in spreading the movement of community mental health with acceptable atmosphere for the improved patients. On the contrary the prejudice toward mental illness, family member's shame, supernatural illness concept, and negative response to the therapeutic function of mental hospital would result in a difficult social atmosphere in detecting patients and pursuing adequate treatment. |
| Key Words:
Public attitude toward mental illness; Public opinion toward mental illness |
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