ATTITUDES TO MENTAL-PATIENTS AMONG HONG-KONG CHINESE - A TREND STUDY OVER 2 YEARS

A telephone survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1273 Ch inese in Hong Kong to examine public attitudes to the mentally ill and mental health rehabilitation facilities. Attitudes were compared with a study using the same measures carried out two years previously. Res ults indicated that public concern about their mental health and their attitudes to mental patients was decreased and became more negative s lightly, respectively. On the other hand, their knowledge of mental il lness and attitudes to community care of mental patients were improved slightly. Their views on the mentally ill were found to be associated with their contacts with mental patients and their socioeconomic vari ables including age and education, but not sex.