A comparative study of attitude towards mental illness public stigma between university students in mainland China and Taiwan

Objective To compare attitude towards mental illness public stigma between university students in mainland China and Taiwan,and to provide references for mental illness destigmatization.Methods A cross strait survey was conducted among 326 university students in mainland China and 362 university students in Taiwan.Results There were significant differences between university students in mainland China and Taiwan in responsibility attribution,fear,anger,sympathy and help dimensions of mental illness public stigma(t =5.746,3.179,2.899,3.583,6.250,P<0.01).The responsibility attribution model of both mainland China and Taiwan fit well (model parameter of mainland China:x2/df=1.617,GFI=0.994,NFI=0.979,CFI=0.992,RMSEA =0.044,CN =477.000);model parameter of Taiwan:x2/df=1.881,GFI =0.997,NFI =0.996,CFI =0.998,RMSEA =0.049,CN=575.000).Conclusion Comparing with university students in Taiwan,university students in mainland China tend to attribute responsibility to mental illness patients,and with more fear,more anger,less sympathy,as well as less help to mental illness patients.There is difference of responsibility attribution model for mental illness stigma between students in mailland China and Taiwan.