Attitudes to Mental Illness and Its Demographic Correlates among General Population in Singapore

BACKGROUND: Public attitudes to mental illness could influence how the public interact with, provide opportunities for, and help people with mental illness. AIMS: This study aims to explore the underlying factors of the Attitudes to Mental Illness questionnaire among the general population in Singapore and the socio-demographic correlates of each factor. METHODS: From March 2014 to April 2015, a nation-wide cross-sectional survey on mental health literacy with 3,006 participants was conducted in Singapore. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed a 4-factor structure for the Attitudes to Mental Illness questionnaire among the Singapore general population, namely social distancing, tolerance/support for community care, social restrictiveness, and prejudice and misconception. Older age, male gender, lower education and socio-economic status were associated with more negative attitudes towards the mentally ill. Chinese showed more negative attitudes than Indians and Malays (except for prejudice and misconception). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for culture-specific interventions, and the associated factors identified in this study should be considered for future attitude campaigns.