<![CDATA[Abstract. Society has various beliefs, one of which is related to mental disorders. Many people's beliefs are still wrong in understanding mental disorders, and causes society to treat people with mental disorders (Orang Dengan Gangguan Jiwa/ODGJ) inappropriately. People who misunderstand mental disorders will usually take inhumane actions such as alienating survivors or taking other actions that worsen the mental condition of survivors. This research explored the attitudes and perspectives of Javanese people in understanding mental disorders. The ultimate goal is to provide theoretical contributions that bridge scientific definitions and assumptions that are believed in the local community's perspective regarding mental disorders. In accordance with the research objective, this research used a descriptive qualitative approach, involving 98 respondents in a semi-structured interview. Respondents were selected based on characteristics called "purposive sampling", and the collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that the respondent's educational background not influence the scientific view of the phenomenon of mental disorders, except for those who had education related to mental health. Education increases the attitude of the community toward maintaining personal mental health. Lack of literacy leads to misunderstandings about patients with mental disorders. This research is sufficient to provide additional literacy regarding the gaps in the scientific definition of mental disorders and what is understood in society.Keywords: javanese; mental disorder; qualitative]]>
