[Social views of mental diseases--results of research]

Social reactions for mental diseases are very complex, because contacts between healthy people and the ill ones are limited in our society. People are afraid of all symptoms of mental disability and they think that such people should be isolated in closed institutions. The majority of examined people (79%) think that mentally disabled should be cured. People of different age and level of education state such opinions with the same frequency. At the same time, the majority of examined people (88%), admit that the knowledge about mentally disabled in our society is insufficient. This conviction grows simultaneously with the level of education of respondents. The social idea of factors, which start or condition the formation of mental diseases is very schematic. This idea consists of four main elements i.e.: genetic conditions (heredity of disease), bad conditions of life, everyday stress and low psychical immunity. Although the declaration of openness, the majority of respondents represent low tolerance to problems of mentally disabled and their opinions stigmatize ill people.