Abstract

ALVAREZ RAMIREZ, Leonardo Yovany  and  ALMEIDA SALINAS, Orlando. Adults perception about mental illness and its psychological treatment in Bucaramanga city, Colombia . rev.fac.med. [online]. 2008, vol.56, n.2, pp.91-100. ISSN 0120-0011.

Background. The first studies about perceptions of mental disorder were published early in the 50´s in the United States. Since then, the number of investigations has enlarged with the boom of the psychiatry and of the community psychology, which emphasize the importance of the community attitudes toward the mental health its promotion and prevention. Objetive. To do a description of the perception of mental illness and its treatment. Materials and methods. The study included 200 men and women with ages between 40 and 65 years old in Bucaramanga-Colombia. We obtein a not probabilistic sampling that excluded participants with previous or recent episodes of mental disorder. We applied the Fischer and Turner-Revised questionary (Mackenzie, Knox, Geroski, 2001) and the Scale of attitudes toward mental disorder (Hahn, 2001) whose coefficients of confiabilidad Alpha Chronbach were of 0,87 and 0,83. Result. A positive and moderate correlation (r = 0,48) between the two attitudes evaluated was obtained . Some attitudes as: separation and pessimistic prediction about recovery and social assimilation were found. Conclusions. Evaluated individuals has one stigma perception about mental disorders and its treatment.

Keywords : attitude; mental disorders; psychological thechniques.

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