Stigma related to mental illness can deter help-seeking in those who need it and
result in discrimination. Studies indicate that negative attitudes toward and social distance
from the mentally ill are greater among males, and those with less education and less
familiarity with mental illness. This study examines attitudes toward the mentally ill
among older and young adults in order to determine whether differences exist. We
proposed that older adults might have more positive attitudes toward and less social
distance from people with mental illness. Participants were 70 college-age students
enrolled in a Psychology 105 course and 78 older adults involved in educational
programming at a Senior Center. The survey consisted of a set of demographic questions,
the Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI) Survey, and a modified version
of the Social Distance Scale. Older adults indicated greater familiarity with mental
illness, but more negative attitudes and more social distance than college-age
respondents. Across age groups, women and those who were familiar with mental illness
scored higher on the positive attitudes subscale and lower on the negative attitudes
subscale of the CAMI. Simply having familiarity with mental illness does not mean
attitudes will be more positive and that attributions made by older adults may differ from
those of younger adults
