Table 4

Proportion of students who replied ‘agree or strongly agree’ to survey items

n%
If I had a mentally ill relative, I wouldn’t want anyone to know.21322.7
Most of my friends would see me as being weak if they thought that I had a mental illness.33035.1
I would be very embarrassed if I were diagnosed as having a mental illness.43446.2
Mentally ill people scare me.21122.5
I would cross the street if I saw a mentally ill person coming to avoid passing him/her.12613.4
Think that mentally ill people are strange and weird.13214
I think that there really isn’t anything called mental illness; some people are just different.28029.8
Schools and parents are mostly responsible for making people mentally ill.16918
I think that society makes up the diagnosis of mental illness just to control people.9810.4
I think that you could catch mental illness from another person.333.5
I sometimes worry that I may have a mental illness.33035.1
Mentally ill people can get well if they are treated with love and kindness.58662.3
There are medications now that can cure mental illness.32234.3
People who are mentally ill could be well if they tried hard enough.31533.5
If a relative of mine became mentally ill, I know that I could convince them to get well.26528.2
I can’t see myself hanging out with a mentally ill person.19120.3
Mentally ill people are easy to spot.18619.8
If you become mentally ill your life is pretty much over.10311
I don’t think there is any way that I can become mentally ill.12213
Eating the wrong things or taking drugs can make you mentally ill.28330.1
Mentally ill people tend to be more violent than other people.22423.8
I would be upset if someone with a mental illness always set next to me in class.13714.6
I would not be close friends with someone I knew had a mental illness.14014.9
I would visit a classmate in hospital if they had a mental illness.78683.6
I would try to avoid someone with a mental illness.14915.9
I would not mind it if someone with a mental illness lived next door to me.60464.3
If I knew someone had a mental illness I would not date them.36638.9
I would not want to be taught by a teacher who had been treated for a mental illness.15016
I would tell a teacher if a student was being bullied because of their mental illness.84289.6
I would stick up for someone who had a mental illness if they were being teased.82287.5
I would tutor a classmate who got behind on their studies because of their mental illness.73678.3
I would volunteer my time to work in a programme for people with a mental illness.49052.1