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Understanding of Psychiatry & Psychiatrists in England and China

Louise T. Higgins has been Head, Department of Psychology, University of Chester since 1980. She has been engaged in joint cross-cultural research on a range of topics along with academic psychologists and psychiatrists from China.

This descriptive study aimed to test the findings of Williams, Cheyne, and Macdonald (2001) on the accuracy of people's knowledge of psychiatry and psychiatrists and extends the findings to another culture, namely, the People's Republic of China. The questions asked by Williams et al. were repeated with people on the streets in England and China and also with groups of students who had been educated in mental health issues. The results showed that there were some shared misperceptions about psychiatry in both countries. For example, a lack of awareness about psychiatrists’ medical qualifications. There were also some cultural differences, which reflected the different social systems involved. Education was found to increase awareness of problems treated and treatments used, to improve the image of psychiatrists, and to emphasise the role of the criminal justice system in dealing with the mentally ill.

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