title: Emotional reactions to the mentally ill are positively influenced by personal acquaintance.
abstract: The study sought to evaluate whether personal acquaintance with a psychiatric patient increases or decreases stigmatization.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research was carried out in a Turkish university. The Social Distance Scale and the Affective Reaction Scale were completed by final year students. The subjects were then asked whether they have ever been acquainted with a patient with a mental disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects who had not been acquainted with a patient with mental disorder had a higher score on the Affective Reaction Scale than subjects who had been acquainted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding suggests that acquaintance with a psychiatric patient reduces negative emotions towards people with mental disorders. It is suggested that this result is related to the resolution of sensitization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, University of Istanbul, Turkey. mkarikan@escortnet.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arikan
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Uysal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*