Table 2 Spearman Correlation between stigma score and demographic features, *Significant at 0.05 level (p-value < 0.05)

social distance

 I will be more comfortable helping a person with a physical illness over a patient with a mental illness

3.31(1.140)

3.27(1.209)

3.26(1.183)

3.30(1.173)

 If a co-worker tells me that he suffers from a controlled mental illness, I would like to work with him

2.40(0.822)

2.48(0.868)

2.53(0.924)

2.42(0.820)

 The best treatment for mental illness is medication

2.54(0.988)

2.66(1.127)

2.40(1.026)*

2.66(1.065)*

I do not prefer for any mentally ill person to work with children even if their illness is under control

3.20(1.219)

3.46(1.198)

3.41(1.256)

3.31(1.202)

I wouldn't mind living next to a mentally ill person

2.58(0.978)

2.37(0.908)

2.33(0.984)

2.51(0.934)

other concepts

 If a psychiatric patient complains of physical symptoms < such as nausea, backache and headache > I will link the cause to his mental illness

3.16(0.974)

3.23(0.974)

3.30(0.970)

3.16(0.974)

 Psychiatric patients rarely pose a danger to the public

3.02(1.031)

2.87(1.001)

3.01(1.080)

2.93(0.999)

detection

 If I am under treatment for a mental illness, I will not tell my colleagues about it

3.24(1.097)

3.23(1.163)

3.06(1.160)

3.29(1.116)

 I will be more likely to seek help in a mental illness if my healthcare provider is not associated with my workplace

3.77(0.910)

3.78(0.928)

3.72(0.881)

3.79(0.930)

 I will consider myself weak if I suffer from a mental illness and cannot treat it on my own

2.44(1.088)

2.45(1.114)

2.31(1.065)

2.49(1.108)

 I will not hesitate to seek help if I have a mental illness

4.18(0.779)

4.07(0.887)

4.06(0.774)

4.15(0.854)

 If I had a mental illness, I would tell my friends

2.82(1.019)

2.77(1.015)

2.78(1.023)

2.80(1.016)

recovery

 Employers should hire someone with a controlled mental illness if it is best for the job

2.53(1.054)

2.50(1.112)

2.76(1.151)*

2.44(1.050)*

 I will keep seeing the doctor even if I know that he has been treated for a mental illness

2.28(0.865)

2.32(0.916)

2.50(0.925)*

2.24(0.872)*

 More than half of psychopaths are not seriously trying to get better

3.51(0.958)

3.58(0.85)

3.73(0.830)*

3.49(1.005)*

 social responsibility

It is the responsibility of health care providers to instill hope in mental patients

1.74(0.834)

1.76(0.846)

1.17(0.892)

1.76(0.823)

 Despite my professional beliefs I have negative reactions to mental patients

2.22(0.891)*

2.23(1.055)*

2.20(1.057)

2.23(0.951)

 I can help psychopaths a little

3.89(0.827)

3.94(0.784)

3.97(0.826)

3.90(0.799)

 Healthcare providers do not need to be advocates for mental patients

2.44(0.924)

2.55(1.024)

2.42(0.921)

2.51(0.993)

 I struggle to feel compassion for psychopaths]

3.22(1.170)

3.06(1.145)

2.85(1.148)*

3.22(1.150)*

overall

25.97(1.674)

26.25(1.814)

26.22(1.618)

26.08(1.788)