title: Cultural differences in stigma surrounding schizophrenia: comparison between Central Europe and North Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exploring cultural differences may improve understanding about the social processes underlying the stigmatisation of people with mental illness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare public beliefs and attitudes about schizophrenia in Central Europe and North Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Representative national population surveys conducted in Germany (2011) and in Tunisia (2012), using the same interview mode (face to face) and the same fully structured interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Tunisia, respondents showed a stronger tendency to hold the person with schizophrenia responsible for the condition. At the same time they expressed more prosocial reactions and less fear than their German counterparts. In Germany, the desire for social distance was greater for more distant relationships, whereas in Tunisia this was the case for close, family-related relationships.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stigma differs between Tunisia and Germany more in form than in magnitude. It manifests particularly in those social roles which 'matter most' to people within a given culture.
authors.affiliation: Matthias C. Angermeyer, MD, Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Mauro G. Carta, MD, Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Herbert Matschinger, PhD, Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany and Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Aurélie Millier, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France; Tarek Refaï, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Les Berges du lac, Tunisia; Georg Schomerus, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald and HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany; Mondher Toumi, PhD, University of Lyon I, Villeurbane, France angermeyer@aon.at.
authors.forename: Matthias C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
authors.affiliation: Matthias C. Angermeyer, MD, Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Mauro G. Carta, MD, Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Herbert Matschinger, PhD, Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany and Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Aurélie Millier, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France; Tarek Refaï, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Les Berges du lac, Tunisia; Georg Schomerus, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald and HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany; Mondher Toumi, PhD, University of Lyon I, Villeurbane, France.
authors.forename: Mauro G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Carta
authors.affiliation: Matthias C. Angermeyer, MD, Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Mauro G. Carta, MD, Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Herbert Matschinger, PhD, Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany and Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Aurélie Millier, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France; Tarek Refaï, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Les Berges du lac, Tunisia; Georg Schomerus, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald and HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany; Mondher Toumi, PhD, University of Lyon I, Villeurbane, France.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matschinger
authors.affiliation: Matthias C. Angermeyer, MD, Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Mauro G. Carta, MD, Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Herbert Matschinger, PhD, Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany and Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Aurélie Millier, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France; Tarek Refaï, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Les Berges du lac, Tunisia; Georg Schomerus, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald and HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany; Mondher Toumi, PhD, University of Lyon I, Villeurbane, France.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Millier
authors.affiliation: Matthias C. Angermeyer, MD, Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Mauro G. Carta, MD, Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Herbert Matschinger, PhD, Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany and Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Aurélie Millier, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France; Tarek Refaï, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Les Berges du lac, Tunisia; Georg Schomerus, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald and HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany; Mondher Toumi, PhD, University of Lyon I, Villeurbane, France.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Refaï
authors.affiliation: Matthias C. Angermeyer, MD, Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Mauro G. Carta, MD, Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Herbert Matschinger, PhD, Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany and Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Aurélie Millier, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France; Tarek Refaï, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Les Berges du lac, Tunisia; Georg Schomerus, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald and HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany; Mondher Toumi, PhD, University of Lyon I, Villeurbane, France.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schomerus
authors.affiliation: Matthias C. Angermeyer, MD, Center for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Mauro G. Carta, MD, Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Herbert Matschinger, PhD, Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany and Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Aurélie Millier, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Paris, France; Tarek Refaï, PhD, Creativ-Ceutical, Les Berges du lac, Tunisia; Georg Schomerus, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald and HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany; Mondher Toumi, PhD, University of Lyon I, Villeurbane, France.
authors.forename: Mondher
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toumi
mesh_terms: D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D057545:Social Stigma; D014416:Tunisia