A ‘direct link’ between mental illness and Bush support
Posted By Carpetbagger On 28th November 2006 @ 10:24 In General | 23 Comments
This probably won’t come as a big surprise to any of you, but it’s nevertheless helpful to have empirical data on the subject. (via Tom Tomorrow)
A collective “I told you so†will ripple through the world of Bush-bashers once news of Christopher Lohse’s study gets out.
Lohse, a social work master’s student at Southern Connecticut State University, says he has proven what many progressives have probably suspected for years: a direct link between mental illness and support for President 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.
In this case, Lohse isn’t saying that conservatives are inherently psychotic, only that “psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader†like Bush. “If your world is very mixed up, there’s something very comforting about someone telling you, ‘This is how it’s going to be,’†Lohse said.
Apparently, it’s not an entirely new phenomenon — Lohse also noted a 1977 study by Frumkin & Ibrahim found psychiatric patients preferred Nixon over McGovern in the 1972 election.
What’s more, it’s not just limited to mental health; Rakfeldt, who backed Lohse’s study, found another noteworthy correlation.
The study used Modified General Assessment Functioning, or MGAF, a 100-point scale that measures the functioning of disabled patients. A second scale, developed by Rakfeldt, was also used. Knowledge of current issues, government and politics were assessed on a 12-item scale devised by the study authors.
“Bush supporters had significantly less knowledge about current issues, government and politics than those who supported Kerry,†the study says.
Raise your hand if you’re surprised.
Tags: Bush, mental illness, psychotic
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