[lbo-talk] FW: Survey: People with Psychosis Prefer Bush

Wojtek Sokolowski sokol at jhu.edu
Wed Jan 3 09:33:21 PST 2007


[WS:] Sorry for the format, but I really have no idea (or desire to learn) how to deal with computer generated screw ups. [WS:]

Survey: <http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/11/29/survey-people-with-psy chos is-prefer-bush/> People with Psychosis Prefer Bush

by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. November 29, 2006

Our friends over at the New <http://www.ctnow.com/custom/nmm/newhavenadvocate/hce-nha-1123-nh48bushb ash4 8.artnov23,0,1695911.story> Haven Advocate pointed out an interesting finding when a local social work master's student at Souther Connecticut State University went on a "get out the vote" effort in 2004 targeted at people with mental illness to vote. He found people with psychosis were more likely to vote for Bush.

Lohse says his study is no joke. The thesis draws on a survey of 69 psychiatric outpatients in three Connecticut locations during the 2004 presidential election. Lohse's study, backed by SCSU Psychology professor Jaak Rakfeldt and statistician Misty Ginacola, found a correlation between the severity of a person's psychosis and their preferences for president: The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.

Wisely, Lohse attributed the preference to a person with psychosis's preference to an ordered environment and world aorund them:

"Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader," Lohse says. "If your world is very mixed up, there's something very comforting about someone telling you, 'This is how it's going to be.'"

Unfortunately, Bush does not reciprocate the love. As President, Bush has overseen the gutting of many federal services and funding initiatives to the mentally ill over the past 6 years. Although backing a <http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/> commission on mental health in 2002 and 2003, he hasn't done anything since that time other than to pay lip service to people with serious mental illness.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/11/29/survey-people-with-psyc hosi s-prefer-bush/



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