Various health professions groups' beliefs about people with arthritis

This study was conducted among physical therapy students, nursing students, and interns and residents to compare beliefs about people with arthritis among these groups; compare the groups' beliefs about people with arthritis to their beliefs about people with five other handicapping conditions; and explore associations of the groups' beliefs about people with arthritis with their age, sex, and personal experience with the condition. For purposes of comparison with the health professions study groups, undergraduate students in an interpersonal communications class were also surveyed. Respondents answered a ten-item questionnaire for each of the six handicapping conditions. Through factor analysis, the ten items were reduced to two factors--one dealing with the emotionality and sensitivity of people with a handicapping condition and the other concerning the extent to which people with a handicapping condition are similar to "normal" people. Although beliefs about people with arthritis were not profoundly negative, such people were clearly viewed as being different from non-handicapped people. To the extent that negative, stereotypic beliefs held by health professionals may result in the stigmatization of people with handicapping conditions, such beliefs may ultimately have an adverse effect on the patient's response to treatment.