Abstract
Primary objective: To explore the effects of religious identity, gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on public attitudes towards survivors of brain injury.Research design: An independent groups design was used to compare the attitudes of Northern Irish participants.Methods and procedures: The participants were asked to complete a modified form of the Community Attitudes to Mental Illness scale. The new questionnaire replaced the original scales’ emphasis on mental illness with that of brain injury. Complete data was available for 179 participants for the religious identity and gender analysis and 124 for gender and SES. Analyses of variance were conducted on these variables.Outcomes and results: Significant differences between male and female attitudes were found along with significant interactions between religious identity and gender and SES and gender.Conclusions: Religious, economic and gender-based divisions in society affect attitudes towards survivors of brain injury.