Do attitudes towards persons with mental illness worsen during the course of life? An age‐period‐cohort analysis. (10th February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schomerus, G.; Van der Auwera, S.; Matschinger, H.; Baumeister, S. E.; Angermeyer, M. C.
• Is Part Of: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Volume 132:Number 5(2015:Nov.)
• Page Start: 357
• Page End: 364
• Publication Date: 2015-02-10
• Subjects: Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1111/acps.12401
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0001-690X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="acps12401-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="acps12401-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>Cross‐sectional studies frequently find higher age associated with negative attitudes towards persons with mental illness. We explore whether attitudes worsen over the life span, or follow a cohort pattern.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12401-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Method</title> <p>Using data from three identical population surveys in Germany from 1990, 2001 and 2011 (combined sample <italic>n</italic> = 7835), we performed age–period–cohort analyses determining the association of age, time period and birth‐cohort with social distance from a person with either depression (<italic>n</italic> = 3910) or schizophrenia (<italic>n</italic> = 3925), using linear and nonlinear partial least squares regression models.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12401-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Social distance increases with age, independent from cohort and period effects, cumulating to an increase of 2.4 (schizophrenia) and 2.3 (depression) on the 28 point social distance scale over the life span (youngest to oldest participant). We found a cohort effect in depression, but not schizophrenia, with decreasing social distance until 1970 and a slight increase in younger cohorts. Period effects were visible particularly in schizophrenia, with growing social distance over time.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12401-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Considering demographic change and the vulnerability of older persons to severe outcomes of mental illness such as suicide, the observed increase of negative attitudes over the life span seems highly relevant. We discuss the role of conservatism and preferences for agreeable social contacts in older age.</p> </sec> </abstract>