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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research article

Influence of contact with schizophrenia on implicit attitudes towards schizophrenia patients held by clinical residents

Authors: Ataru Omori, Amane Tateno, Takashi Ideno, Hidehiko Takahashi, Yoshitaka Kawashima, Kazuhisa Takemura, Yoshiro Okubo

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Background

Patients with schizophrenia and their families have suffered greatly from stigmatizing effects. Although many efforts have been made to eradicate both prejudice and stigma, they still prevail even among medical professionals, and little is known about how contact with schizophrenia patients affects their attitudes towards schizophrenia.

Methods

We assessed the impact of the renaming of the Japanese term for schizophrenia on clinical residents and also evaluated the influence of contact with schizophrenia patients on attitudes toward schizophrenia by comparing the attitudes toward schizophrenia before and after a one-month clinical training period in psychiatry. Fifty-one clinical residents participated. Their attitudes toward schizophrenia were assessed twice, before and one month after clinical training in psychiatry using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) as well as Link’s devaluation-discrimination scale.

Results

The old term for schizophrenia, “Seishin-Bunretsu-Byo”, was more congruent with criminal than the new term for schizophrenia, “Togo-Shitcho-Sho”, before clinical training. However, quite opposite to our expectation, after clinical training the new term had become even more congruent with criminal than the old term. There was no significant correlation between Link's scale and IAT effect.

Conclusions

Renaming the Japanese term for schizophrenia still reduced the negative images of schizophrenia among clinical residents. However, contact with schizophrenia patients unexpectedly changed clinical residents’ attitudes towards schizophrenia negatively. Our results might contribute to an understanding of the formation of negative attitudes about schizophrenia and assist in developing appropriate clinical training in psychiatry that could reduce prejudice and stigma concerning schizophrenia.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Influence of contact with schizophrenia on implicit attitudes towards schizophrenia patients held by clinical residents
Authors
Ataru Omori
Amane Tateno
Takashi Ideno
Hidehiko Takahashi
Yoshitaka Kawashima
Kazuhisa Takemura
Yoshiro Okubo
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-12-205

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