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Schomerus G, Schwahn C, Holzinger A, Corrigan PW, Grabe HJ, Carta MG, Angermeyer MC. Evolution of public attitudes about mental illness: a systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Objective:  To explore whether the increase in knowledge about the biological correlates of mental disorders over the last decades has translated into improved public understanding of mental illness, increased readiness to seek mental health care and more tolerant attitudes towards mentally ill persons.

Method:  A systematic review of all studies on mental illness‐related beliefs and attitudes in the general population published before 31 March 2011, examining the time trends of attitudes with a follow‐up interval of at least 2 years and using national representative population samples. A subsample of methodologically homogeneous studies was further included in a meta‐regression analysis of time trends.

Results:  Thirty‐three …