Children's Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill: A Developmental Analysis

For 577 children, Grades K through 8, attitudes toward mental illness and mentally ill persons relative to other stigmatized groups were measured on a projective measure of social distance. Attitudes toward deviant groups were evidenced by kindergarten and did not change appreciably with increasing age/grade. Across the grades assessed, four distinct and consistent concept groupings emerged. From the most to least preferred they were (1) normal, (2) physically handicapped, (3) mentally ill, mentally retarded, and emotionally disturbed, and (4) convict and crazy. Attitudes of kindergarten children were strikingly similar to those of peers in Grade 8. Crazy people (synonymous with the professional-technical term mental illness) are apparently regarded with the same fear, distrust, digust, and aversion by children and adults alike.