According to respondents, most of Russians feel sympathy and pity towards persons with mental disorders. However more than one-third of respondents consider that people with schizophrenia should be kept away from other people.
MOSCOW, June 4, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to mental disorders and schizophrenia conducted in partnership with Gedeon Richter.
Russians know well what schizophrenia is: 20% say that they are well aware of the symptoms; a further 70% know about the disease in general. Every fifth respondent knows if there is someone with schizophrenia in the close circle (20%): 4% say they have relatives with schizophrenia; 16% know personally someone who has schizophrenia.
Most of Russians feel sympathy (38%) and pity (34%) towards people with schizophrenia; they are predominantly respondents aged 60 and over (48% and 39%, respectively). At the same time, every fourth respondent (26%) says that many Russians are afraid of people with mental disorders; every fifth (18%) mentions “distrust” towards them. Nine percent of respondents say people tend to feel contempt towards those who are mentally ill. The key problems people with mental disorders face are as follows: employment difficulties (40%), poor supply of necessary medicines (33%), lack of skills among healthcare workers (31%), and negative public attitudes (31%). Those respondents who have relatives with schizophrenia think that difficulties getting medicines are the major problem (45%).
The survey suggests that the typical signs of schizophrenia are extreme mood swings (29%), split mind (27%) and hallucinations (17%) (only people who are aware of the disease were asked). However, schizophrenic patients are seen ambiguously: on the one hand, they are perceived rather negatively, on the other hand, they are seen as vulnerable persons lacking attention. Most of those respondents are aware of the disease view the patients as “unstable” (34%), “dangerous” (28%), “vulnerable” (24%) and “suspicious” (23%).
As to those respondents who have heard and are aware of schizophrenia, the majority thinks that patients should constantly take their prescribed medications (79%) and are not capable of controlling their disease (63%); this stance is shared by 70% of patients’ relatives. At the same time, every second respondent believes that the likelihood of getting schizophrenia is higher if a close relative has had the illness (49%).
Thirty-eight percent of respondents consider that people with schizophrenia should be kept away from people (only the informed persons were asked). Those who are less likely to share this stance are people whose relatives or friends have schizophrenia (31%), as well as those who are confident that patients are capable of controlling their illness (21%).
Asked why people who have a relative or friend with the signs of schizophrenia do not try to get psychiatric help, 38% say that they do not want it to be made public after the visit to the doctor. A further 29% think that people are afraid that their relative with schizophrenia will be put to the hospital. Other obstacles include distrust towards doctors and lack of confidence that medicine can cure the disease (20%, for each).
VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted in November 2018 and commissioned by Gedeon Richter. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Do you know/ have you heard of schizophrenia? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||
| Total respondents | |
I am well aware of the symptoms | 20 | 90 |
I know in general | 70 | |
This is the first time I hear about that | 8 | |
Don’t know | 2 | |
Sometimes we may encounter people with different mental diseases. Speaking about your relatives, friends, acquaintances do you know anyone who was diagnosed with schizophrenia? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) Only those who are aware of schizophrenia were asked | ||
| % of total respondents | |
Yes, one of my relatives has schizophrenia; I take care of him/her | 1 | 4 |
Yes, one of my relatives has schizophrenia | 3 | |
Yes, one of my friends has schizophrenia | 8 | 16 |
Yes, my friends have friends/relatives who were diagnosed with schizophrenia | 8 | |
I do not know anyone diagnosed with schizophrenia | 69 | |
Don’t know | 1 | |
Question was not asked, as disease is not known | 10 | |
In your opinion, how do most of people in Russia treat people with mental disorders? (closed-ended question, up to 2 answers, % of total respondents) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and over |
Sympathy | 38 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 42 | 48 |
Pity | 34 | 34 | 31 | 29 | 35 | 39 |
Fear | 26 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 24 | 17 |
Distrust | 18 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 10 |
Contempt | 9 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 5 |
Confusion | 8 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 5 |
Hatred | 4 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
Interest | 3 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Liking | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
No special feelings | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Other | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Don’t know | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
In your opinion, what are the major problems people with mental disorders face? (closed-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of total respondents) | ||||
| Total respondents | Those who have relatives with schizophrenia | Who have friends with schizophrenia | Who has no one with schizophrenia |
Getting a job | 40 | 34 | 45 | 41 |
Supply of medicines | 33 | 45 | 36 | 34 |
Lack of skills among healthcare workers | 31 | 33 | 32 | 32 |
Negative public attitudes | 31 | 34 | 37 | 30 |
Lack of medical equipment | 21 | 24 | 20 | 23 |
Problems getting education | 17 | 15 | 19 | 18 |
Restrictions in leisure choices | 9 | 11 | 5 | 10 |
Other | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Don’t know | 13 | 7 | 8 | 12 |
In your opinion, what signs does a person with schizophrenia show? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who aware of schizophrenia) Only those who are aware of schizophrenia were asked | |
| % of those who aware of schizophrenia |
Extreme mood swings | 29 |
Split mind | 27 |
Hallucinations | 17 |
Low intelligence | 5 |
None of the above-mentioned | 5 |
Other | 2 |
Don’t know | 15 |
Which adjectives would best describe a person with schizophrenia? (closed-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who aware of schizophrenia) Only those who are aware of schizophrenia were asked | |
| % of those who aware of schizophrenia |
Unstable | 34 |
Dangerous | 28 |
Vulnerable | 24 |
Suspicious | 23 |
Creative | 19 |
Sly | 15 |
Sensitive | 15 |
Indifferent | 8 |
Energetic | 7 |
Sociable | 5 |
Lazy | 4 |
None of the above-mentioned | 2 |
Other | 5 |
Don’t know | 13 |
To what extent do you agree with the following statements? (closed-ended question, one answer per line, % of those who aware of schizophrenia) Only those who are aware of schizophrenia were asked | |||||
| Fully agree | Rather agree | Rather disagree | Fully disagree | Don’t know |
People diagnosed with schizophrenia should be kept away from people | 12 | 26 | 39 | 13 | 10 |
38 | |||||
Person diagnosed with schizophrenia should regularly take medicines | 48 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 11 |
79 | |||||
People are more likely to become schizophrenic if someone in their family has had schizophrenia | 14 | 35 | 24 | 13 | 14 |
49 | |||||
People with schizophrenia are not capable of controlling their disease | 29 | 34 | 19 | 6 | 12 |
63 | |||||
In your opinion, why do the members of family /friends prefer not to take the person with signs of schizophrenia to the psychiatrist, and they treat him/her on their own instead? (closed-ended question, up to 2 answers, % of those who aware of schizophrenia) Only those who are aware of schizophrenia were asked | |
| % of those who aware of schizophrenia |
They are afraid that their friends will find out about it | 38 |
They are afraid that this person will be put to hospital | 29 |
They do not believe that conventional medicine is capable of treating the disease | 20 |
They do not trust psychiatrists | 20 |
They do not want to spend too much money on treatment | 16 |
They are afraid that they will have to get through examination themselves | 13 |
They do not believe that schizophrenia exists | 4 |
Most of relatives go to psychiatrist | 1 |
Other | 4 |
Don’t know | 11 |
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