The aim of this research was to examine attitudes of doctors and nurses employed in general and clinical praxis applying Community Attitudes Toward Mentally Ill (CAMI).

The survey was conducted among 1051 professionals, and out of them 826 were employees of university hospital health care and 225 of primary health care in the Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Each subject completed the CAMI questionnaire either at the hospital or at home. In addition, they each completed a short questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics. The attitudes were examined concerning the age, sex, level of education and the institution they work in.

Out of 1051 professionals 298 were physicians (109 men, 189 women), 753 nurses (86 men, 667 women). The average age of the examined was 40.16±9.48 years (from 18 to 70 years). Employees of university hospital showed significantly (P>0.001) higher authoritarian attitudes comparing to the them from general health care. Professionals who were elder and nurses had significantly higher restrictive attitudes (P<0.001) compared with professionals who were younger and physicians. Female subjects had also more authoritarian attitudes comparing to the male.

The obtained results by CAMI scale indicate that professionals who had a lower level of education and old-age were less benevolent towards mental illness and that workers of clinical care and female workers had more authoritarian attitudes.