Albertans' preferences for social distance from people with mental illnesses or problems

Abstract

Researchers have noted that the level of contact respondents have with people who have a mental illness and how they attribute responsibility for these conditions contribute to their desire for social distance. Given that the literature suggests that increased contact is associated with reduced social distance and that social distance is highest when individuals are considered personally responsible for their situation, this thesis examines how much of the variation in the desire for social distance is accounted for by both the levels of contact and the attribution of personal responsibility. Ordinary least squares regression was used to analyze the 2007 Alberta Survey (N=1073). Results show that knowing someone, besides oneself, who has received treatment for a mental illness and attributing responsibility for a mental illness onto the individual explain some of the variation in the desire for social distance. The methodological limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.