TPC-Digests-V1-Issues-123

A b s t r a c t Social distance towards adults with mental illness was explored among mental health and non-mental health trainees and professionals. Results suggested mental health trainees and professionals desired less social distance than non- mental health trainees and professionals, and that social distance is related to attitudes towards adults with mental illness. March 8th, 2011 Allison L. Smith Craig S. Cashwell Stigma towards adults with mental illness is both a longstanding and widespread phenomenon. In the mental illness stigma literature, authors have used the construct of social distance (the proximity one desires between oneself and another person in a social situation) to assess expected discriminatory behavior towards adults with mental illness. Scholars have described low social distance as characterized by a feeling of commonality, or belonging to a group, based on the idea of shared experiences. In contrast, high social distance implies that the person is separate, a stranger, or an outsider. It has been suggested that social distance research can provide valuable insight S ocial D istance and M ental I llness : A ttitudes A mong M ental H ealth and N on -M ental H ealth P rofessionals and T rainees Stigma towards adults with mental illness exists among mental health professionals. TPC Digest Go To Article