1. Evaluation and comparison of public attitudes towards people with mental disorders in Poland and Egypt
K.M. Wilczynski1, E. Elsheshtawy2, E. Mazgaj3, N. Amer2, A. Jabłońska3, M. Nasser2, A. Majkut3, K. Krysta3
1Medical University of Silesia, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of Developmental Age, Katowice, Poland
2Mansoura University, Department of Psychiatry, Mansoura, Egypt
3Medical University of Silesia, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Katowice, Poland
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, proceeding deinstitutionalization of mentally ill, despite obvious benefits, led to the occurrence of new challenges, linked to the rapid increase in social distance and stigmatization of those afflicted. Our objective was to assess society’s attitude towards mentally ill, and compare it between respondents from Poland and Egypt. According to literature, both countries require urgent actions towards policy reforms, with shift of services from psychiatric hospitals towards community mental health. High rates of suicides in Poland, as well as gradually rising rates in Egypt seem to point towards a bigger problem in society itself. Depiction of mental illness, especially through media coverage, is the main obstacle in fighting stigma, not only in Poland and Egypt, but in whole European Union and United States as well.
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Expenditure on health as percent of gross domestic product
Gross national income per capita (US$)
Number of beds in psychiatric hospitals per 100,000 inhabitants
Psychiatrists per 100,000 inhabitants
Suicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants
Egypt
5,6%
3,514 13
0,9
3,1
Poland
6,3%
12,372 52
5,1
18,5
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study was conducted between January 2016 and September 2017 on a group of 1392 respondents originating from Poland (n=1016) and 426 from Egypt (n=376), utilizing authors’ own questionnaire constructed during three-step pilot study on a group of 100 respondents. On each step, feedback was collected from participants on comprehensibility, precision and content of each question. Prepared inventory was later on translated in three-step process (translation, retranslation and validation). Full questionnaire contained 37 questions, among which 14, compromised an „overall attitude scale”. Cronbach’s α of the „overall attitude scale” equaled 0,79 in the main study and 0,83 in pilot. Outcomes range was between -5 points (very negative attitude) to 5 points (very supportive attitude).
RESULTS
There was no significant difference in overall attitude score towards mentally ill between Poland and Egypt.
The highest outcome was found in psychiatrists’ group (x=1,5 (95%CI:1,3-1,7)), and it was significantly higher (p=0,023) than outcome in medical students, medical doctors and general audience.
There was statistically significant difference in overall attitude score between MDs in Poland and Egypt.
22% of respondents from Poland and 26% from Egypt provided a pejorative term for mentally ill (eg. moron, fool, clown) when asked for the first thing that comes to their heads when thinking about mentally ill people, however difference was not statistically significant (p=0,21)
Significant, although weak, association was found between age of respondent and overall attitude towards mentally ill (r=0,11; p<0,05).
34,5% of respondents obtained their knowledge from media coverage, 33,3% from movies, 13,5% from literature and 18,5% from popular science texts.
Average overall attitude score
95%CI
Average in Egypt
Average in Poland
p-value
Medical students
0,85
±0,12
0,77
0,87
0,32
MDs
0,84
±0,11
0,8
1,03
0,045
General audience
0,73
±0,06
0,78
0,89
Psychiatrists
1,5
±0,2
1,02
1,56
0,07
CONCLUSIONS
Despite cultural differences, public opinion on mentally ill did not differ between Poland and Egypt. Overall attitude seem to be neutral, with a majority of society being indifferent to the problems of mentally ill. 
Average overall attitude score
95%CI
Std. Deviation
p-value
Poland
0,89
±0,07
1,13
0,061
Egypt
0,79
±0,05
0,52
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Copyright © 2018 Krzysztof Maria Wilczyński;