Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Queirós, Rita Vilar
Data de Publicação: 2021
Outros Autores: Santos, Vítor, Madeira, Nuno
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/103522
https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.13859
Resumo: Stigma towards mental illness is considered a key obstacle to the provision of medical care to psychiatric patients. This is not only present in the general population but also among healthcare professionals. Therefore, medical students could be a target population for stigma prevention measures. The aim of this study is to assess the evolution of the attitudes of medical students from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra towards psychiatric patients, before and after attending Psychology and Psychiatric courses. Material and Methods: Students from the third and fourth years of the integrated Master’s degree in Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra were asked to complete four questionnaires. The surveys were distributed before and after the attendance of the courses. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease of the stigma scores (p = 0.025) between the two measurements (38.16 initially, 36.72 on the second moment). The baseline level of stigma was found to be negatively associated with empathy (rP = -0.477) and with the type of personality, with higher levels of openness to new experiences being associated with lower levels of initial stigma (rP = -0.357). Discussion: Overall, the students’ attitudes towards patients with mental illness were positive, with a decrease of the stigma value from the first to the second semester. This corroborates the hypothesis that education and contact with people with a mental condition could shape positive changes in attitudes and discrimination against those patients. Conclusion: Our results emphasise the importance of implementing programs inside medical schools in order to reduce stigma among future doctors.
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spelling Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry CourseAttitudeMental DisordersPortugalPsychiatrySocial StigmaStudents, MedicalAtitudeEstigma SocialEstudantes de MedicinaPerturbações MentaisPortugalPsiquiatriaAttitude of Health PersonnelHumansPortugalSurveys and QuestionnairesMental DisordersPsychiatryStudents, MedicalStigma towards mental illness is considered a key obstacle to the provision of medical care to psychiatric patients. This is not only present in the general population but also among healthcare professionals. Therefore, medical students could be a target population for stigma prevention measures. The aim of this study is to assess the evolution of the attitudes of medical students from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra towards psychiatric patients, before and after attending Psychology and Psychiatric courses. Material and Methods: Students from the third and fourth years of the integrated Master’s degree in Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra were asked to complete four questionnaires. The surveys were distributed before and after the attendance of the courses. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease of the stigma scores (p = 0.025) between the two measurements (38.16 initially, 36.72 on the second moment). The baseline level of stigma was found to be negatively associated with empathy (rP = -0.477) and with the type of personality, with higher levels of openness to new experiences being associated with lower levels of initial stigma (rP = -0.357). Discussion: Overall, the students’ attitudes towards patients with mental illness were positive, with a decrease of the stigma value from the first to the second semester. This corroborates the hypothesis that education and contact with people with a mental condition could shape positive changes in attitudes and discrimination against those patients. Conclusion: Our results emphasise the importance of implementing programs inside medical schools in order to reduce stigma among future doctors.Introdução: O estigma face às doenças mentais é considerado como um dos principais obstáculos à prestação de cuidados médicos a doentes psiquiátricos. Esta problemática não está presente apenas na população geral, mas também entre os profissionais de saúde. Assim, os estudantes de medicina podem ser uma população alvo para a introdução de medidas de prevenção de estigma. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a evolução das atitudes dos estudantes de Medicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra (FMUC) face aos doentes psiquiátricos, antes e depois de frequentar as cadeiras de Psicologia e Psiquiatria. Material e Métodos: Foram distribuídos quatro questionários aos alunos do terceiro e quarto anos do Mestrado Integrado em Medicina da FMUC antes e depois de frequentarem as unidades curriculares. Resultados: Foi observada uma diminuição estatisticamente significativa dos valores de estigma (p = 0,025) entre as duas medições (38,16 no primeiro momento, 37,72 no segundo). Foram ainda encontradas correlações inversas, quer entre o valor do estigma inicial e a empatia (rP = -0,477), como em relação ao tipo de personalidade, com maiores níveis de abertura à experiência originando níveis mais baixos de estigma (rP = -0,357). Discussão: Em geral, as atitudes dos estudantes de Medicina relativamente aos doentes psiquiátricos foram positivas, com uma diminuição significativa do valor do estigma do primeiro para o segundo semestre. Estes resultados corroboram a hipótese de que a educação e o contacto com pessoas com uma patologia mental poderão modificar positivamente as atitudes e discriminação contra as mesmas. Conclusão: Este estudo salienta a importância da implementação de programas nas Faculdades de Medicina com o intuito de reduzir o estigma entre futuros Médicos.2021-06-30info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10316/103522http://hdl.handle.net/10316/103522https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.13859eng1646-07580870-399XQueirós, Rita VilarSantos, VítorMadeira, Nunoinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2022-11-17T21:33:41Zoai:estudogeral.uc.pt:10316/103522Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T21:20:20.723380Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
title Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
spellingShingle Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
Queirós, Rita Vilar
Attitude
Mental Disorders
Portugal
Psychiatry
Social Stigma
Students, Medical
Atitude
Estigma Social
Estudantes de Medicina
Perturbações Mentais
Portugal
Psiquiatria
Attitude of Health Personnel
Humans
Portugal
Surveys and Questionnaires
Mental Disorders
Psychiatry
Students, Medical
title_short Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
title_full Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
title_fullStr Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
title_full_unstemmed Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
title_sort Decrease in Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Portuguese Medical Students After a Psychiatry Course
author Queirós, Rita Vilar
author_facet Queirós, Rita Vilar
Santos, Vítor
Madeira, Nuno
author_role author
author2 Santos, Vítor
Madeira, Nuno
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Queirós, Rita Vilar
Santos, Vítor
Madeira, Nuno
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Attitude
Mental Disorders
Portugal
Psychiatry
Social Stigma
Students, Medical
Atitude
Estigma Social
Estudantes de Medicina
Perturbações Mentais
Portugal
Psiquiatria
Attitude of Health Personnel
Humans
Portugal
Surveys and Questionnaires
Mental Disorders
Psychiatry
Students, Medical
topic Attitude
Mental Disorders
Portugal
Psychiatry
Social Stigma
Students, Medical
Atitude
Estigma Social
Estudantes de Medicina
Perturbações Mentais
Portugal
Psiquiatria
Attitude of Health Personnel
Humans
Portugal
Surveys and Questionnaires
Mental Disorders
Psychiatry
Students, Medical
description Stigma towards mental illness is considered a key obstacle to the provision of medical care to psychiatric patients. This is not only present in the general population but also among healthcare professionals. Therefore, medical students could be a target population for stigma prevention measures. The aim of this study is to assess the evolution of the attitudes of medical students from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra towards psychiatric patients, before and after attending Psychology and Psychiatric courses. Material and Methods: Students from the third and fourth years of the integrated Master’s degree in Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra were asked to complete four questionnaires. The surveys were distributed before and after the attendance of the courses. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease of the stigma scores (p = 0.025) between the two measurements (38.16 initially, 36.72 on the second moment). The baseline level of stigma was found to be negatively associated with empathy (rP = -0.477) and with the type of personality, with higher levels of openness to new experiences being associated with lower levels of initial stigma (rP = -0.357). Discussion: Overall, the students’ attitudes towards patients with mental illness were positive, with a decrease of the stigma value from the first to the second semester. This corroborates the hypothesis that education and contact with people with a mental condition could shape positive changes in attitudes and discrimination against those patients. Conclusion: Our results emphasise the importance of implementing programs inside medical schools in order to reduce stigma among future doctors.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-06-30
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http://hdl.handle.net/10316/103522
https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.13859
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https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.13859
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