title: [Causes and psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia: opinions of mental health personnel].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Description of the opinions about causes and psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia in a sample of psychiatric professionals, recruited in 29 Italian Mental Health Centres (MHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Each professional was asked to read a case-vignette describing a patient who met the ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia. Referring to case-vignette, he/she was asked to fill the Questionnaire on the Opinions about Mental Illness--Professionals' version (QO-P). Professionals' opinions were explored in relation to: a) their socio-demographic variables and professional background; b) geographic location of the MHC.
  
  
  METHODS
  29 MHC stratified by geographic area (Northern, Central, Southern Italy) and population density of their catchment areas (> 100,000 inhabitants; between 100,000 and 25,000 inhabitants; < 25,000 inhabitants) and randomly selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data on 465 professionals were collected. 75% of the sample identified in the vignette a case of schizophrenia, 22% of depression/anxiety disorder. Factors most frequently mentioned as causes of the detected disorder were heredity (68%), stress (61%), family difficulties (46%). More pessimistic opinions about psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia were found among nurses and among professionals of Southern Italy, among those with lower educational level, older age and among those working longer in psychiatry. No statistical difference in the opinions about psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia was found among staff who referred the case-vignette to schizophrenia and those who did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study outline the need to: a) include issues such as disability and psychosocial consequences of mental disorders in the basic training of professionals; b) increase the number of professionals trained in evidence-based psychosocial interventions.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Psichiatria, Università di Napoli SUN, Largo Madonna delle Grazie, 80138 Napoli. lorenza.magliano@unina2.it
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magliano
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guarneri
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malangone
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marasco
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorillo
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005104:Expert Testimony; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D000078329:Workforce
vernacular_title: Cause e conseguenze psicosociali della schizofrenia: le opinioni degli operatori dei SSM.