Attitudes towards Psychiatry and Mental Illness among medical students in a university hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Psychiatry is viewed negatively by medical students. They tend to have negative attitudes towards psychiatry, psychiatrists, mentally ill and mental illnesses as a whole. This study was intended to assess attitudes to psychiatry and mental illness among medical students in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

Methods: It was a cross- sectional study done to assess attitudes to Psychiatry and Mental illness among fourth year medical students in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Socio- demographic information was filled up and two likert scales ATP-30 (Attitudes to Psychiatry) and ATM (Attitudes to Mental Illness) were used to assess attitudes. Descriptive analysis was done and chi- square test was used to see for any statistically significant difference for the items using SPSS version 20.

Results: Total sample size was forty- five and males comprised three- fourth of the respondents. The mean age of participants was 22.4 years with somewhat higher number of respondents from valley (57.8%). Brahmins (26.6%) and Hindu (88%) constituted the majority. 84.4% of the respondents belonged to nuclear family. The mean ATP-30 and ATM scores obtained were 106.78 and 66.93 respectively.

Conclusions: Overall attitude to Psychiatry and mental illness among fourth year medical students Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital was found to be positive. Studies with larger sample size with students from multiple universities and medical colleges and comparison of attitudes before and after psychiatry rotation are further needed.