Website of the Department of Health

Attitudes to mental illness 2009 research report

The latest national statistics on Attitudes to  Mental Illness produced by the Department of Health were released on 12 June 2009 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

Since March 1993, the Department of Health has placed a set of  questions on TNS’s Face-to-Face Consumer Omnibus about public  attitudes towards mental illness. From 1993 to 1997 the questions were  asked on an annual basis and then every third year up until 2003.  

Since 2007 the survey has again been carried out annually. The surveys  serve as a benchmark, enabling measurement of whether attitudes are improving or worsening over time. The questionnaire included a number of statements about mental illness. Respondents were asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with each statement.

Key points from the report:

• People are broadly sympathetic towards people with a mental illness.
• However, some attitudes towards people with mental illness are worse compared to when the Department of Health first commissioned the poll in 1994 whilst others have improved. Several attitudes that had worsened over the period up until 1997 have since improved.
• Attitudes to a number of statements have changed significantly since 2008
  - Opinions on some statements changed towards greater tolerance
  - Opinions moved more in favour of integrating people with mental illness into the community
  - Opinions on the causes of mental illness and the need for special services became less favourable
  - Opinions on people with mental illness having the same rights to a job as everyone else became more favourable.

• Download Attitudes to mental illness 2009 research report (PDF, 1858K)