Matthias C. Angermeyer|Georg Schomerus
State of the art of population-based attitude research on mental health: a systematic review
University of Applied Sciences Stralsund|Greifswald University Hospital
population surveys become frequently used method explore stigma helpseeking illness beliefs related mental illness methodological quality however differs greatly studies current knowledge seems heavily biased towards highincome countries critical appraisal advances shortcomings psychiatric attitude research missing review summarises appraises state art populationbased attitude research mental healthsystematic review peerreviewed papers reporting representative population studies beliefs attitudes mental disorders published january 2005 december 2014 n 478over decade covered review considerably papers psychiatric attitude research published whole time period papers originated europe 363 north america 232 australia 226 146 papers included data low middle income countries vast majority papers 801 used correlational crosssectional analyses 4 used experimental quasiexperimental designs data 459 papers obtained facetoface interviews followed telephone 345 mail 73 online surveys 40 almost half papers 446 casevignettes served stimulus eliciting responses interviewees 207 instruments meeting established psychometric criteria used frequently studied disorder depression 446 paper followed schizophrenia 33 117 papers reported time trend analyses attitudes beliefs 75 crosscultural comparisons common focus research mental health literacy total 634 papers followed various forms stigma 483there scarcity papers 121 based established theoretical frameworksin current boom attitude research avantgarde studies uses profound innovative methodology still blind spots large proportion conventional studies discuss current future methodological challenges psychiatric attitude research needs embrace innovative methodologically sound studies needed provide empirical basis evidencebased interventions aimed reducing misconceptions mental disorders improve attitudes towards afflicted