Public attitudes towards survivors of brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effects of religious identity, gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on public attitudes towards survivors of brain injury.


METHODS
An independent groups design was used to compare the attitudes of Northern Irish participants.


METHODS
The participants were asked to complete a modified form of the Community Attitudes to Mental Illness scale. The new questionnaire replaced the original scales' emphasis on mental illness with that of brain injury. Complete data was available for 179 participants for the religious identity and gender analysis and 124 for gender and SES. Analyses of variance were conducted on these variables.


RESULTS
Significant differences between male and female attitudes were found along with significant interactions between religious identity and gender and SES and gender.


CONCLUSIONS
Religious, economic and gender-based divisions in society affect attitudes towards survivors of brain injury.
Linden
M A
MA
School of Psychology, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, and Community Brain Injury Team, Down Lisburn Trust, Thompson House Hospital, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, UK. m.linden@qub.ac.uk
Rauch
R J
RJ
Crothers
I R
IR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D002835:Christianity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009660:Northern Ireland; D011287:Prejudice; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*