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Public vs. professional conceptions of schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Wahl Otto F.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(198704)15:2<285::aid-jcop2290150217>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - psychosocial , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychology , cognition , mental health , health professionals , clinical psychology , psychiatry , health care , economics , economic growth
The beliefs of several lay groups about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of schizophrenia were examined and compared with those of mental health professionals. Lay groups were similar to one another in viewing schizophrenia as being characterized by emotional symptoms, psychosocial causes, and psychosocial treatments. Professionals, on the other hand, tended to stress cognitive symptoms, biological/hereditary origins, and pharmacological treatment. It is suggested that there exist common misconceptions about schizophrenia that need to be better addressed by mental health educators.