[An error of the educated--split personality and schizophrenia].
OBJECTIVE
Among the public schizophrenia is often thought to denote split personality. Our aim is to identify factors influencing the prevalence of this error. METHODS In a representative population survey in Germany (n=5,025), respondents received an open question about their associations with the word schizophrenia and a closed question how strongly they agree that split personality is a symptom of the disease.


RESULTS
27% associated split personality with schizophrenia, 67.4% agreed this being a symptom. Higher education was associated with answering/endorsing split personality in both questions. Familiarity with mental illness and living in the old German Laender increased unprompted mention of the concept.


CONCLUSIONS
Mistaking schizophrenia for split personality is an error of the well-educated that is not favourably altered by familiarity with mental illness. Targeting this misconception seems to be difficult and could necessitate a new illness denomination.
Borsche
Julia
J
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig.
Schomerus
Georg
G
Matschinger
Herbert
H
Angermeyer
Matthias C
MC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D009105:Dissociative Identity Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012929:Psychological Distance; D011639:Public Opinion; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012931:Social Environment