Areas of stigma and discrimination of mentally ill people among Internet respondents in Poland

Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate the public perception of mentally ill people, stigma of the mentally ill and distance towards them in Poland.& para;& para;Method. The study group was composed of 1,309 respondents who were interviewed using an authors' own survey, which was spread with the use of online media.& para;& para;Results. The results indicate a high level of stigma of psychiatric patients in the subjective assessment of their appearance, intellect as well as respondents' sense of superiority over the patients. The stigma of a psychiatric patient is also resolutely demonstrated in the economic aspect, which results from respondents' unwillingness to employ, or even work with people affected by a disorder from the mental illness group.& para;& para;Conclusions. Undoubtedly, the light against the phenomenon of stigma and discrimination against people affected by mental health problems is becoming one of the priorities in the field of mental health.