The public’s preferences concerning the allocation of financial resources to health care: results from a representative population survey in Germany

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to examine to what extent the public is willing to allocate financial resources to the care of people with mental disorders. METHODS: In 2001, a representative survey was conducted among the adult population of Germany (n = 5025). The respondents were asked to select three out of nine conditions for which available resources should on no account be shortened. For data analysis, multiple unidimensional unfolding was used. RESULTS: Compared with medical diseases, the respondents were far less willing to allocate financial resources to the care of people with psychiatric disorders, making a clear distinction between the two types of diseases. While familiarity with mental illness had the effect of decreasing the reluctance to spend money for psychiatric patients, the endorsement of traditional values increased it. CONCLUSION: Our findings point to both the chances and the limitations of efforts aimed at reducing the structural discrimination of people with mental illness.