The authors of this article tested the hypothesis that individuals in a collectivistic culture will be more likely than those in an individualistic culture to attribute schizophrenia to external factors. Comparing Arabs from the United Arab Emirates to Arabs from the United States, results confirmed this hypothesis. The authors also tested the hypothesis that a woman with schizophrenia will be viewed less negatively than a man with schizophrenia, due to schizophrenia being seen as gender-atypical for women. Findings showed partial support for this hypothesis, but also demonstrated that culture and participant gender played a role in these results. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

schizophrenia negative attitudes Mental illness Stigma

gender relations hypothesis testing United Arab Emirates United States mental health gender role psychology Arab world