24Feb 2017

MEDICAL STUDENTS ATTITUDE TOWARD PSYCHIATRY IN UMM AL-QURA UNIVERSITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

  • Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
  • Internship, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
  • Research Center, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
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Background: Several studies worldwide reported negative attitude toward psychiatry from medical students and interns. Despite the increasing demand for psychiatry and mental health services, psychiatrists' numbers are still low, and the field of psychiatry is still attracting a lower number of medical students. Objective: This study aims to measure the attitude of medical students and interns toward psychiatry in Umm Al-Qura University medical college, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Method: A Cross-sectional study. A web-based Attitude Toward Psychiatry (ATP-30) questionnaire was distributed among randomly chosen interns and 6th-year medical students, who had completed their psychiatry course and rotation, and to fourth and 5th-year medical students, who did not have any previous exposure to psychiatry. Results: A total of 335 participants completed the survey, of which 168 were males, and 167 were females. Among them, only 53 are considering psychiatry as a career, while 193 did not, and 89 are not sure. The participants showed an overall positive attitude with the mean scoring of 98.09 ±12.22 on the ATP-30 questionnaire, with male participants showing more positive attitude (99.65±11.48) than female participants (96.44±12.79). The most neutral responses were about how facts in psychiatry are just vague speculations, how their undergraduate training in psychiatry was valuable, and that psychiatry cannot be taughteffectively because it is so amorphous. Negative attitude was observed in the areas concerning the choice of psychiatry as a future career and viewing psychiatric hospitals as little more than prisons. Positive attitude toward areas on the validity of psychotherapy, viewing psychiatry as a respected branch of medicine, attention toward mental illness, and the humanity of the mentally ill. Significant differences based on gender were observed in the areas measuring attitude toward psychiatric patients, psychiatric illness, psychiatry, and psychiatrists. The prior exposure to psychiatry teaching and practice did not seem to affect the attitude. Conclusions: Interns and students overall showed neutral to positive ATP. Proper evaluation and subsequent modification to the current medical curriculum, with more clinical exposure and engagement with psychiatrists working in the field, may be needed to improve the attitude of interns and students toward psychiatry and mental illness.

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[Anas Sarhan, Aqeel Alkhiri, Ahmad Maqadmi, Maher Alhazmi and Mawaddah Bahuwyrith. (2017); MEDICAL STUDENTS ATTITUDE TOWARD PSYCHIATRY IN UMM AL-QURA UNIVERSITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY Int. J. of Adv. Res. 5 (Feb). 1359-1368] (ISSN 2320-5407). www.journalijar.com

Aqeel Talal Alkhiri
Internship, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/3292      
DOI URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/3292

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