title: Continuum beliefs and attitudes towards people with mental illness: Results from a national survey in France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether mental disorders should be considered as categorical or dimensional has found increasing attention among mental health professionals. Only little is known about what the public thinks about this issue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  First, to assess how prevalent the belief in a continuum of symptoms from mental health to mental illness is among the general public. Second, to examine how continuum beliefs are associated with attitudes towards people with mental disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2012, an on-line survey was conducted in France (N = 1,600). After the presentation of a case-vignette depicting a person with either schizophrenia or depression, belief in a continuum of symptoms, emotional reactions and desire for social distance related to the person in the vignette were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While 58.2% of respondents agreed in a symptom continuum for depression, this percentage was only 28.5% for schizophrenia. In both disorders, continuum beliefs were associated with more pro-social reactions and less desire for social distance. Only in schizophrenia, there was an inverse relationship with the expression of anger.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is increasing evidence of an association between continuum beliefs and positive attitudes towards people with mental illness. Information on the continuous nature of psychopathological phenomena may usefully be included in anti-stigma messages.
authors: Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy angermeyer@aon.at.
authors: Matthias C
authors: MC
authors: Angermeyer
authors: Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France.
authors: Aurélie
authors: A
authors: Millier
authors: Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France.
authors: Cécile
authors: C
authors: Rémuzat
authors: Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France.
authors: Tarek
authors: T
authors: Refaï
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany.
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: Schomerus
authors: University of Lyon I, Lyon, France.
authors: Mondher
authors: M
authors: Toumi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012559:Schizophrenia; D057545:Social Stigma; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Symptom continuum; attitudes; major depression; population survey; schizophrenia