scholarly journals Stigma and Attitudes towards Psychiatric Patients in Portuguese Medical Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Telles-Correia ◽  
João Gama Marques ◽  
João Gramaça ◽  
Daniel Sampaio
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychiatric Education ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Community Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> This study aims to assess the impact of psychiatric education on attitudes of medical students towards psychiatric patients.<br /><strong>Material and Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional survey of medical students was conducted at the biggest Portuguese medical school. The students completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire, including sociodemographic data, family history of psychiatric illness, and the Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill scale.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> Of the 2 178 students, 398 answered the survey, representing 18.2% of the whole medical school. There was a significant improvement in all Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill scale dimensions along the medical course. The higher scores were in Restrictiveness subscale (38.01), and the lower scores were for Authoritarianism (36.13). The best improvement along the course was for Authoritarianism (5th year score - 1st year score = 2.03), and the worse was for Benevolence (5th year score - 1st year score = 0.39). The biggest improvement, in all scores, was found at the end of the 3rd year.<br /><strong>Discussion: </strong>The authors propose that the better attitudes found on third year students were due to a very specific anti-stigma module on the theoretical discipline ‘Introduction to Mental Health’. After that, this positive effect was lost, with fourth and fifth year medical students showing a worsening of their attitudes.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Our results highlight the importance of anti-stigma specific education modules in order to improve students’ attitudes toward mental health. Thus more anti-stigma preventive measures can be taken onward, on preparing the best way possible, the next generation of doctors.</p>

Stigma and attitudes towards mental illness: Gender differences in a sample of Italian medical students

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S739-S739 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pascucci ◽  
M. La Montagna ◽  
D. Di Sabatino ◽  
E. Stella ◽  
R. Nicastro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Students Attitudes

Introductionstigma in mental illness is characterized by discrimination towards people affected by mental disorder. Consequence of the paradigm “stigma-injury-discrimination” is the social exclusion of these patients and the denial of their rights. Medical students, those who should be important reference points for psychiatric patients, are instead one of the categories that contribute to their stigmatization.ObjectivesTo study the attitudes of medical students towards psychiatric patients.AimsThe present study analyzes gender differences in a sample of Italian medical students towards mental illness.MethodsA total of 339 Italian medical students completed a cross-sectional survey, in Rome and Foggia (Italy). We used the Italian version of Community Attitude towards the Mentally Ill test (CAMI) to analyze the students’ attitudes.ResultsThere is a substantial difference among the attitudes towards mental disorders in female and male students. Female students have obtained less stigmatizing results in 9 of the CAMI test items (P < 0.05), in Benevolence (P = 0.001) and Social Restrictiveness subscales (P = 0.043) and in the total score (P = 0.013).ConclusionsThese results are in line with those achieved in scientific literature, confirming that women tend to show more humanitarian attitude towards the mentally ill. Even in the original article of the validation of the CAMI test, the authors found better attitudes in women in all subscales, with the exception of Social Restrictiveness subscale (that in our analysis also correlates with the female gender).Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of nursing students in Japan: protocol for a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e055916
Author(s):  
Jun Kako ◽  
Yoshiyasu Ito ◽  
Kohei Kajiwara ◽  
Yasutaka Kimura ◽  
Takahiro Kakeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally with a high risk of mortality. It is also significantly affecting mental health. For nursing students, the impact of COVID-19 on mental health is predicted to be significant; however, sufficient data have not been obtained. Therefore, this study will aim to assess the mental health of nursing students and evaluate the related factors.Methods and analysisThis proposed study is a cross-sectional survey using a self-report questionnaire. An online questionnaire will be distributed among all nursing students of eight universities in Japan. The survey questionnaire will consist of questions related to demography, life satisfaction, fear of COVID-19, mental health and physical activities. The target sample size is 1300 nursing students. We will calculate descriptive statistics for each measurement item and perform univariate and logistic regression analyses to evaluate the potential risk factors for anxiety, depression and insomnia symptoms in nursing students. The strength of association will be assessed using the OR and its 95% CIs. Statistical significance will be set at a p<0.05.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Hyogo on 22 March 2021 (ID: 2020F29). In addition, all of the participating facilities required ethical approval from their local IRBs. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. We believe that the proposed large-scale investigation of the mental health of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship between mental health and fear of COVID-19 are novel and will be a strength of this study.

scholarly journals The effect of lockdown due to COVID-19 on mentally ill patients and their caregivers: a cross sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1276
Author(s):  
Jayashree Janagam ◽  
K. C. Muraleedharan ◽  
Deepthi Gilla ◽  
N. D. Mohan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Givers ◽  
Increased Risk

Background: Pandemics are known to cause poor mental well-being and an increased risk of mental disorders. The foremost concern emerging from different aspects of COVID-19 is its impact on mental health. There were many surveys conducted on the general population related to the effect of COVID-19 and few studies on its psychological impact but there is sparse literature on how the containment measures affected the psychiatric patients. Objective of the study was to investigate whether the COVID-19 related lockdown affected the subjective mood and behavior of psychiatric patients and their caregivers. The secondary purpose is to assess the difficulties encountered in procuring medicines and the effect of non-availability of homoeopathic medicines if any.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on mentally ill patients and their care-givers in the Outpatient Department of Psychiatry in National Homoeopathy Research Institute in Mental Health (NHRIMH), Kottayam. Respondents were evaluated with a specially framed questionnaire containing 22 questions to assess the effect of lockdown on psychiatric patients and their caregivers, who attended the OPD after the COVID-19 related lockdown. The data generated through the study are analysed and presented in this article.Results: Out of the total 548 participants (M-65.9%, F-34.1%) who responded to the survey, 290 (53%) cases expressed that they were distressed to be under lockdown. 26.5% of the clients reported worsening of mental health conditions during lockdown compared to pre-lockdown. 54.2% of the patients found difficulty in procuring homoeopathic medicines during Lockdown.Conclusions: Authorities should consider the ways of limiting the effects of confinement on mentally ill patients and their caregivers by developing strategies to mitigate the adverse consequence of the pandemic. 

scholarly journals The Effects of Participating in a Research Team During the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Educational Routine and Mental Health of Medical Students: a Study Protocol for a Web Based Survey. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debora Cerqueira Calderaro ◽  
Barbara Stadler Kahlow ◽  
Gabriela Araújo Munhoz ◽  
Samuel Elias Basualto Dias ◽  
João Vitor Ziroldo Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Stress Domains

BACKGROUND Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided social isolation with a potential negative impact on the educational routine, including the suspension of face-to-face appointments, and mental health of medical students. The Mario Pinotti II study (MPII) is a 24-week observational study with scheduled telephone calls every 2 weeks to verify the occurrence of the COVID-19 in rheumatic patients on hydroxychloroquine chronically (from 29th, March, 2020 to 30th, September, 2020). The effects of voluntary participation in a research project, which foresees interaction by telephone contact with patients, professors, rheumatologists, and colleagues on the daily life and mental health of medical students requires evaluation. OBJECTIVE Objectives: Considering that medical students are professionals in training with a high level of responsibility to handle emotional and physical aspects related to several diseases, this study has the aim of evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and participation in the MPII study, on the educational routine and mental health of medical students. METHODS Methods: A web-based survey was carried out to perform a cross-sectional comparative assessment between medical students participating in the MPII study and other their colleagues who are not involved in this research project, matched to sex, age and medical school. The web questionnaire was developed by a panel composed of graduate medical students, rheumatologists, medical school professors, and a psychology professor and it included details on demographic and life habits data, as well as evaluation of participants' impression about the MPII study and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their educational routine and medical training. In addition, the depressive, anxiety, and stress domains were evaluated using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), Brazilian version, and, lately, the scores were grouped as low, moderate and high risk for mental distress. This project was approved by the Federal University of São Paulo Ethics Committee (CAAE: 30246120.3.1001.5505). RESULTS Results: Data collection was applied for all 2 medical student groups from July 20th to August 31st, 2020. Data extraction is ongoing. Analysis is scheduled to start after extraction is completed. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: This study will bring light into the effects of participating in a research project on depressive, anxiety, and stress domains by using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) in large sampling of medical students and the evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students educational routine and medical training. CLINICALTRIAL This is not a clinical trial.

scholarly journals Study protocol for the ETMED-L project: longitudinal study of mental health and interpersonal competence of medical students in a Swiss university using a comprehensive framework of empathy

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e053070
Author(s):  
Alexandre Berney ◽  
Valerie Carrard ◽  
Sylvie Berney ◽  
Katja Schlegel ◽  
Jacques Gaume ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Interpersonal Competence ◽  
Comprehensive Framework ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionPhysician interpersonal competence is crucial for patient care. How interpersonal competence develops during undergraduate medical education is thus a key issue. Literature on the topic consists predominantly of studies on empathy showing a trend of decline over the course of medical school. However, most existing studies have focused on narrow measures of empathy. The first aim of this project is to study medical students’ interpersonal competence with a comprehensive framework of empathy that includes self-reported cognitive and affective empathy, performance-based assessments of emotion recognition accuracy, and a behavioural dimension of empathy. The second aim of the present project is to investigate the evolution of mental health during medical school and its putative link to the studied components of interpersonal competence. Indeed, studies documented a high prevalence of mental health issues among medical students that could potentially impact their interpersonal competence. Finally, this project will enable to test the impact of mental health and interpersonal competence on clinical skills as evaluated by experts and simulated patients.Methods and analysisThis project consists of an observational longitudinal study with an open cohort design. Each year during the four consecutive years of the project, every medical student (curriculum years 1–6) of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland will be asked to complete an online questionnaire including several interpersonal competence and mental health measures. Clinical skills assessments from examinations and training courses with simulated patients will also be included. Linear mixed models will be used to explore the longitudinal evolutions of the studied components of interpersonal competence and mental health as well as their reciprocal relationship and their link to clinical skills.Ethics and disseminationThe project has received ethical approval from the competent authorities. Findings will be disseminated through internal, regional, national and international conferences, news and peer-reviewed journals.

scholarly journals Understanding Mental Burden and Factors Associated With Study Worries Among Undergraduate Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Guse ◽  
Ines Heinen ◽  
Sonja Mohr ◽  
Corinna Bergelt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting many areas of life and has led to major changes in undergraduate medical education. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, high mental burden of medical students has frequently been reported in the literature. Additional pandemic-specific stressors could exacerbate this situation. This study aimed to assess mental health outcomes among medical students during the first semester after the COVID-19 outbreak and perception of the students on how the learning environment has changed. In May 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among undergraduate medical students at a large medical school in Germany. The survey included validated mental health instruments (Distress Thermometer, Patient Health Questionnaire 4) and self-developed items to examine the perception of the study situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Open-ended questions were analyzed by conventional content analyses. The response rate was 59.2% (914/1,545). Overall, 61.9% of the students reported distress levels above the cutoff. Year 1 students reported significantly higher levels of distress, anxiety and depression than students during their second to fourth year of studies. 48.3% of the students indicated a decrease in their study motivation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with significant differences between study years. The binary logistic regression model showed that male gender, being in study year 2, higher distress scores and higher symptoms of depression were significantly associated with a higher likelihood for experiencing serious worries. In the open-ended questions on current concerns related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their studies, students most frequently reported concerns about missing relevant practical learning experience, difficulties with self-regulated learning and self motivation as well as study-related worries. Year 4 students reported significantly more worries about the lack of practical training than students from study years 1 to 3. Analysis of gender differences showed that female students reported more frequently diverse worries. In contrast, female students shared more frequently helpful strategies in all the categories compared to male students. Our findings suggest that medical students experience significant levels of distress and mental burden during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the need for ongoing psychological and educational support for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and after.

The Mental Health and Social Exclusion European Network

2000 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Leonori ◽  
Manuel Muñoz ◽  
Carmelo Vázquez ◽  
José J. Vázquez ◽  
Mary Fe Bravo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
European Union ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
World Federation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Capital Cities ◽  
Homeless Mentally Ill ◽  
The Impact

This report concerns the activities developed by the Mental Health and Social Exclusion (MHSE) Network, an initiative supported by the Mental Health Europe (World Federation of Mental Health). We report some data from the preliminary survey done in five capital cities of the European Union (Madrid, Copenhagen, Brussels, Lisbon, and Rome). The main aim of this survey was to investigate, from a mostly qualitative point of view, the causal and supportive factors implicated in the situation of the homeless mentally ill in Europe. The results point out the familial and childhood roots of homelessness, the perceived causes of the situation, the relationships with the support services, and the expectations of future of the homeless mentally ill. The analysis of results has helped to identify the different variables implicated in the social rupture process that influences homelessness in major European cities. The results were used as the basis for the design of a more ambitious current research project about the impact of the medical and psychosocial interventions in the homeless. This project is being developed in 10 capital cities of the European Union with a focus on the program and outcome evaluation of the health and psychosocial services for the disadvantaged.

scholarly journals The impact of integrating environmental health into medical school curricula: a survey-based study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kligler ◽  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Carmela Rocchetti ◽  
Michelle Secic ◽  
Erin Speiser Ihde
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Lead Contamination ◽  
Institute Of Medicine ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Inclusion of environmental health (EH) in medical education serves as a catalyst for preparing future physicians to address issues as complex as climate change and health, water pollution and lead contamination. However, previous research has found EH education to be largely lacking in U.S. medical education, putting future physicians at risk of not having the expertise to address patients’ environmental illnesses, nor speak to prevention. Methods Environmental health (EH) knowledge and skills were incorporated into the first-year medical school curriculum at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (Nutley, New Jersey), via a two-hour interactive large group learning module with follow up activities. Students completed the Environmental Health in Med School (EHMS) survey before and after the year 1 EH module. This survey evaluates medical students’ attitudes, awareness and professionalism regarding environmental health. In year 2, students completed the Environmental Health Survey II, which measured students’ perceptions of preparedness to discuss EH with future patients. The research team created both surveys based upon learning objectives that broadly aligned with the Institute of Medicine six competency-based environmental health learning objectives. Results 36 year 1 students completed both the pre and post EHMS surveys. McNemar’s test was used for paired comparisons. Results identified no statistically significant changes from pre to post surveys, identifying a dramatic ceiling. When comparing year 2, EHS II pre-survey (n = 84) and post-survey (n = 79) responses, a statistically significant positive change in students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health with their patients following the curriculum intervention was noted. Conclusions Our conclusion for the EHMS in Year 1 was that the current generation of medical students at this school is already extremely aware of and concerned about the impact of environmental issues on health. Through the EHS II in Year 2, we found that the six-week environmental health module combining didactic and experiential elements significantly increased medical students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health issues, including climate change, with their patients.

Prescribing stigma in mental disorders: A comparative study of Portuguese psychiatrists and general practitioners

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110025
Author(s):  
Bárbara Almeida ◽  
Ana Samouco ◽  
Filipe Grilo ◽  
Sónia Pimenta ◽  
Ana Maria Moreira
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Speciality ◽  
Diagnostic Overshadowing ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Health Related

Background: Physicians, including psychiatrists and general practitioners (GPs), have been reported as essential sources of stigma towards people diagnosed with a mental disorder (PDMDs), which constitutes an important barrier to recovery and is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Therefore, psychiatrists and GPs are key populations where it is crucial to examine stigma, improve attitudes and reduce discrimination towards psychiatric patients. Aims: This study is the first to explore mental health-related stigma among Portuguese psychiatrists and GPs, examining the differences between these two specialities and assessing whether sociodemographic and professional variables are associated with stigma. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed between June 2018 and August 2019. A consecutive sample of 55 Psychiatrists and 67 GPs working in Porto (Portugal) filled a 25-item self-report questionnaire to assess their attitudes towards PDMDs in clinical practice. The instrument was designed by the authors, based on previous mental health-related stigma studies and validated scales. The questionnaire includes 12 stigma dimensions ( Autonomy, Coercion, Incompetence, Dangerousness, Permanence, Pity, Responsibility, Segregation, Labelling, Diagnostic Overshadowing, Shame and Parental Incompetence), and its total score was used to measure Overall Stigma (OS). Sample characteristics were examined using descriptive statistics, and the factors affecting stigma were assessed through regression analysis. Results: GPs exhibit significantly higher OS levels than psychiatrists, and present higher scores in the dimensions of dangerousness, parental incompetence, diagnostic overshadowing and responsibility. Besides medical speciality, several other sociodemographic variables were associated with sigma, including age, gender, having a friend with a mental disorder, professional category, agreement that Psychiatry diverges from core medicine and physician’s interest in mental health topics. Conclusions: Our data suggest that both psychiatrists and GPs hold some degree of stigmatizing attitudes towards PDMDs. Overall, these results bring new light to stigma research, and provide information to tailor anti-stigma interventions to Portuguese psychiatrists and GPs.

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