J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs.  2015 Jun;24(2):107-115. 10.12934/jkpmhn.2015.24.2.107.

Attitudes of Elementary School Teachers toward Mental Illness

• Choi G
• Choi EJ

• KMID: 2322967
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12934/jkpmhn.2015.24.2.107

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study is done to investigate the attitudes of teachers toward mental illness and to provide appropriate information about mental illness.
METHODS
The participants were 228 teachers recruited from 15 elementary schools in the National Capital region and B metropolitan city. Data were collected from October to December, 2013 and analyzed using t-test, ANOVA and Scheffee test with SPSS 18.0.
RESULTS
Neutral attitudes (77.4+/-7.79) toward mental illness were shown among the teachers. A negative attitude for stereotyping (23.2+/-6.08), a positive attitude for optimism (19.3+/-3.01) and neutral attitudes for coping (19.3+/-1.92) and understanding (15.6 +/-3.05) were revealed.
CONCLUSION
The results indicate that elementary school teachers have neutral attitudes towards mental illness which is closely related to the experience of learning about mental illness. Thus, when teachers learn about mental illness they can understand and guide children who have unusual behaviors.

Keyword

Attitudes; Mentally ill; School teachers

MeSH Terms

Child
Humans
Learning
Mentally Ill Persons
Stereotyping

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