Attitudes towards Tourette syndrome and schizophrenia amongst psychology students

Both people with schizophrenia (SCZ) and Tourette syndrome (TS) have been found to be commonly stigmatized, but stereotypes held for both have never been directly compared. Clinicians and students of healthcare professions have been shown to also be affected by stereotypical beliefs. Media portrayals frequently perpetuate stereotypes, while accurate depictions could raise awareness and reduce stigma.

The aim of this study was to compare stereotypes regarding SCZ and TS and their associations with social media consumption. We conducted an online survey amongst psychology students in the UK (N = 69, age M = 20.48 ± 1.75, range 18-26 years, 57 females).

Overall, both diagnoses were seen neutrally. Participants felt neutral about or disagreed with most stereotypes. However, SCZ was perceived as significantly unpredictable. In comparison to SCZ, people with TS were seen as less dangerous, violent, disruptive and unpredictable. Correlations did not show significant associations between daily hours spent on social media, seen portrayals, the belief that the media influences subjective beliefs, and negative attitudes towards TS/SCZ.

Our results suggest neutral to positive attitudes towards SCZ and TS in current psychology students. Compared to TS, SCZ is more affected by stereotypes. Given the small, local (UK) sample in this study, future studies should include more large-scale global samples to elicit a potential shift in attitudes towards mental health conditions in young healthcare professionals and its relation to the media.