Attitudes toward the hypomanic personality and others

To evaluate specific community attitudes toward psychiatric conditions and the ability to identify particular psychiatric syndromes, selected respondents associated and/or involved with Wingrove Cottage Community Clinic (N = 49) were asked to complete questionnaires in relation to 5 hypothetical characters, each with recognized psychological conditions of: hypomanic personality, manic episode, depressive episode, obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and schizoid personality. Respondents clearly recognized traits of psychiatric illness and were able to understand/evaluate the need for psychological/psychiatric interventions. Further, the hypomanic person was perceived to be least liked when compared with other syndromes including manic episode. In contrast, the schizoid personality was perceived to be most liked and socially acceptable.