It is recognized that work is an important vehicle of social inclusion and for the exercise of citizenship. However, there are few opportunities for people with mental disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to find out businessmen's attitudes to mental disorders. These businessmen are members of a Business Center in a town in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (n=536). METHOD: A cross-sectional census study. Sociodemographic variables and attitudes towards mental disorders were study. The measurement instrument employed was an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire and the Attitudes and Opinions Mental Illness Scale (ODM). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. RESULTS: It was found that 89.7% indicated attitudes that characterize protectionist ideas; 75.5% believe these people are irredeemable and dangerous and 73.2% indicated that they were in favor of the social restriction of people with mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: In order to achieve effective psychosocial rehabilitation of the mentally disorders, it is necessary to carry out educational campaigns with the aim of persuading businesspeople to include this population in their workforce.
Attitudes; mental disorder; work; social reinsertion
