Summary
Researchers surveyed 1,066 people who had previously reported mild to serious psychological distress when they took part in the 2013 California Health Interview Survey and found just 41 percent believe that people are caring and sympathetic to those with mental illnesses, and 81 percent believe that people with mental illness experience high levels of prejudice and discrimination.
Consistent with their perceptions of public stigma, more than two-thirds of those polled said they definitely or probably would hide a mental health problem from co-workers or classmates, and more than one-third said they would do so from family or friends as well. The results come from the California Well-Being Survey (CWBS), which assesses the impact of mental health prevention and early intervention programs on individuals who are experiencing psychological distress. The survey was conducted by RAND as part of efforts by the California Mental Health Services Administration (CalMHSA) to create prevention and early intervention programs designed to improve the mental health of California residents.
