Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology J. Community Appl. Soc. Psychol., 16: 136–148 (2006) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/casp.852 Community Perceptions of Mental Disorders: A Greek Perspective ANASTASIA ZISSI* Department of Sociology, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece ABSTRACT The present cross-sectional study examines the perceptions of residents of a rural community in Greece pertaining to the interpretation, explanation, treatment and prognosis of various psychologi- cal problems. In all, 100 community residents took part. A series of vignettes in combination with both qualitative and quantitative data collection procedures was employed. The findings indicate a variation in the endorsement of interpretations and causal attributions as a function of the type of symptomatology presented. The overt psychotic cases of schizophrenia were more likely to be understood within a genetic explanatory framework while the less overt symptoms of mental dis- orders were perceived as being indicative of emotional problems triggered by personality and social environmental factors. A preference for psychological methods of treatment was expressed. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key words: community; perceptions; mental disorders INTRODUCTION The process of deinstitutionalization together with emphasis on the community approach to the delivery of mental health services have generated a large body of research concern- ing the examination of public attitudes towards individuals with mental health problems. Early research studies have mainly focused on assessing levels of recognition of mental disorder and on measuring the extent of social acceptance and/or social rejection of indi- viduals with mental health problems. Despite some conflicting findings, this body of research showed that the public was reluctant to label deviant behaviour as ‘mental illness’, but once tied to the label of mental illness it provoked negative attitudes (Link, 1982; Link, Gullen, Frank, & Wozniak, 1987). Many researchers, however, have pointed out that the techniques used in the early research were inadequate and therefore failed to demonstrate the complexity and richness of the lay public’s beliefs of mental disorder (Brockman, D’arcy, & Edmonds, 1979). * Correspondence to: Anastasia Zissi, 38 Theokritou str., 81 100 Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece. E-mail: A.Zissi@soc.aegean.gr Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Accepted 26 August 2005