Prejudice towards people with mental disabilities in Japan:

A review

Abstract

Prejudice towards people with mental disabilities is a known obstacle for individuals with mental disabilities living in the larger society. This study reviewed these prejudices towards people with mental disabilities. It aimed to obtain reliable knowledge to develop effective interventions and understand the characteristics of a person with fewer prejudices. Additionally, this review analyzed the kind of interventions that can reduce prejudice. We used iCHUSHi, Citation Information by National institute of informatics and J-Dream Ⅲ (Japanese databases) to gather data between 1st January 2002 and 13th October 2017. The literature review during this period identified 13 original articles as subjects for analysis out of 1,906 related articles. The findings of the analysis suggested that the factors influencing a person to be less prejudiced are experience of interacting with persons with disabilities and knowledge about mental disabilities. Doing things with people with mental disabilities and increasing awareness about mental disabilities through educational activities can reduce prejudice towards them.