AppendixA

Screeningquestionnairepresentedtoallparticipants
AdaptedfromCohenandStrueningsOpinionsaboutMentalIllness(OMI)questionnaire
(1962)
Instructions:Pleaserateyourlevelofagreementwiththefollowingstatements.Rememberthat
thereisnorightorwronganswer;thestatementsaresimplyamatterofopinion.
1.Ifparentslovedtheirchildrenmore,therewouldbelessmentalillness.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

2.Oneofthemaincausesofmentalillnessisalackofmoralstrengthorwillpower.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

3.Mentalpatientscomefromhomeswheretheparentstooklittleinterestintheirchildren.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

4.Althoughtheyusuallyarentawareofit,manypeoplebecomementallyilltoavoidthe
difficultproblemsofeverydaylife.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

5.Thementalillnessofmanypeopleiscausedbytheseparationordivorceoftheirparents
duringchildhood.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

6.Peoplewouldnotbecomementallyilliftheyavoidedbadthoughts.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

7.Peoplewhoarementallyilllettheiremotionscontrolthem;normalpeoplethinkthingsout.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

8.Ifthechildrenofmentallyillparentswereraisedbynormalparents,theywouldprobablynot
becomementallyill.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

9.Whenapersonhasaproblemorworry,itisbestnottothinkaboutit,butkeepbusywith
morepleasantthings.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

10.Nervousbreakdownsusuallyresultwhenpeopleworktoohard.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

11.Thepatientsofamentalhospitalshouldhavesomethingtosayaboutthewaythehospitalis
run.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

12.Mentalillnessisusuallycausedbysomediseaseofthenervoussystem.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

13.Allpatientsinmentalhospitalsshouldbepreventedfromhavingchildrenbyapainless
operation.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

14.Thesmallchildrenofpatientsinmentalhospitalsshouldnotbeallowedtovisitthem.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

15.Mentalillnessisanillnesslikeanyother.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

16.Itiseasytorecognizesomeonewhooncehadaseriousmentalillness.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

17.Mostmentalpatientsarewillingtowork.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

18.Regardlessofhowyoulookatit,patientswithseverementalillnessarenolongerreally
human.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

19.Manypeoplewhohaveneverbeenpatientsinamentalhospitalaremorementallyillthan
manyhospitalizedmentalpatients.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

20.Thereissomethingaboutmentalpatientsthatmakesiteasytotellthemfromnormalpeople.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

21.Ifpeoplewouldtalklessandworkmore,everybodywouldbebetteroff.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

22.Eventhoughpatientsinmentalhospitalsbehaveinfunnyways,itiswrongtolaughabout
them.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

23.Peoplewithmentalillnessshouldneverbetreatedinthesamehospitalaspeoplewith
physicalillness.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

24.Apersonwhohasbadmanners,habits,andbreedingcanhardlyexpecttogetalongwith
decentpeople.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

25.Ifthechildrenofnormalparentswereraisedbymentallyillparents,theywouldprobably
becomementallyill.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

26.Aheartpatienthasjustonethingwrongwithhim,whileamentallyillpersoniscompletely
differentfromotherpatients.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

27.Tobecomeapatientinamentalhospitalistobecomeafailureinlife.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

28.Patientsinmentalhospitalsareinmanywayslikechildren.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

29.Moretaxmoneyshouldbespentinthecareandtreatmentofpeoplewithseveremental
illness.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

30.Althoughsomementalpatientsseemallright,itisdangeroustoforgetforamomentthat
theyarementallyill.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

31.Awomanwouldbefoolishtomarryamanwhohashadaseverementalillness,eventhough
heseemsfullyrecovered.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

32.Anyonewhotrieshardtobetterhimselfdeservestherespectofothers.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

33.Ourmentalhospitalsseemmorelikeprisonsthanlikeplaceswherementallyillpeoplecan
becaredfor.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

34.Peoplewhohavebeenpatientsinamentalhospitalwillneverbetheiroldselvesagain.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

35.Ifourhospitalshadenoughwelltraineddoctors,nurses,andaides,manyofthepatients
wouldgetwellenoughtoliveoutsidethehospital.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

36.Thelawshouldallowawomantodivorceherhusbandassoonashehasbeenconfinedina
mentalhospitalwithaseverementalillness.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

37.Thebestwaytohandlepatientsinmentalhospitalsistokeepthembehindlockeddoors.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

38.Manypatientsinmentalhospitalsmakewholesomefriendshipswithotherpatients.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

39.Althoughpatientsdischargedfrommentalhospitalsmayseemallright,theyshouldnotbe
allowedtomarry.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

40.Manymentalpatientsarecapableofskilledlabor,eventhoughinsomewaystheyarevery
disturbedmentally.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

41.Thereislittlethatcanbedoneforpatientsinamentalhospitalexcepttoseethattheyare
comfortableandwellfed.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

42.Manymentalpatientswouldremaininthehospitaluntiltheywerewell,evenifthedoors
wereunlocked.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

43.Anyonewhoisinahospitalforamentalillnessshouldnotbeallowedtovote.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

44.Everymentalhospitalshouldbesurroundedbyahighfenceandguards.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

45.Everypersonshouldmakeastrongattempttoraisehissocialposition.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

46.Mostwomenwhowereoncepatientsinamentalhospitalcouldbetrustedasbabysitters.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

47.Mostpatientsinmentalhospitalsdontcarehowtheylook.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

48.Obedienceandrespectforauthorityarethemostimportantvirtueschildrenshouldlearn.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

49.Collegeprofessorsaremorelikelytobecomementallyillthanarebusinessmen.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

50.Peoplewhoaresuccessfulintheirworkseldombecomementallyill.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

51.Thereishardlyanythinglowerthanapersonwhodoesnotfeelagreatlove,gratitude,and
respectforhisparents.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

52.Thedeathpenaltyisinhumanandshouldbeabolished.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

53.Everypersonshouldhavecompletefaithinsomesupernaturalpowerwhosedecisionshe
obeyswithoutquestion.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

Additionalquestions
54.Schizophreniaiscausedbyabiochemicalimbalanceinthebrain.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

55.Schizophreniaiscausedbydefectivegenes.
StronglydisagreeDisagreeSomewhatdisagreeSomewhatagreeAgreeStronglyagree

56.Haveyoueverbeendiagnosedwithschizophrenia?
YesNo

57.Wouldyoubewillingtoparticipateinafollowupinterviewtodiscussyouropinionsabout
mentalillness(foradditionalcredit)?
YesNo
58.Doyouhaveanycommentsyouwouldliketomake?