title: Attitudes towards people with depression and schizophrenia among social service workers in Denmark.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mental health-related stigma is a major public health issue, and is an obstacle to the possibility for successful treatment, recovery, and reintegration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine attitudes towards mental illness among employees in the social services.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was part of a large randomized trial, and data presented in this study are baseline data from this trial. Respondents completed a baseline questionnaire to assess the respondents' attitudes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference was found between employees' personal attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia. The same significant difference was found in the employees' perceived attitudes. Furthermore, a significant difference was found between the employees' personal and perceived attitudes. A significant difference was found between the respondents wish for social distance towards depression and schizophrenia in all cases, except regarding the willingness to provide a job at one's own workplace.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Employees in the social services are comparable to the general public concerning attitudes towards mental illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that the employees in social services could have great use of gaining more knowledge about mental illness and ways in which to recognize a mental illness, in order to be able to offer the right kind of help and reduce the treatment gap concerning people suffering from mental illness.
authors.affiliation: a Mental Health Centre Copenhagen , Kildegårdsvej , Denmark.
authors.forename: Kamilla Bjørkøe
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: b Danish Mental Health Foundation , Hejrevej , Denmark.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vendsborg
authors.affiliation: a Mental Health Centre Copenhagen , Kildegårdsvej , Denmark.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hjorthøj
authors.affiliation: a Mental Health Centre Copenhagen , Kildegårdsvej , Denmark.
authors.forename: Merete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nordentoft
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003718:Denmark; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012559:Schizophrenia; D057545:Social Stigma; D012947:Social Work
keywords: Depression; mental health; schizophrenia; social service workers; stigma