Cultural Conceptions, Mental Disorders and Social Roles: A Comparison of Germany and America

Abstract

Matched samples of German and American high school students and mental hospital staffs completed a 60-item questionnaire on conceptions of mental illness. The conceptions of these groups showed greater differences between countries than between popular and professional views within each country. Furthermore, comparing these conceptions with a previous report on mental patients' conceptions in Germany and America, the conceptions of mental patients were found to parallel those of the public and hospital staff in their respective countries. These conceptions appeared to influence patients' coping behavior within the hospital. These results supported the application of labeling theory to mental disorders. But the results did not support the view that specific stereotypes of the mentally ill structure specific symptomatology. Stereotypes were not prominent in the responses of patients, staff or students in either country, and differences in the public's and professionals' responses to stereotypes within each country were greater than differences between the two countries.