URBAN-RURAL COMPARISONS OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS MENTAL ILLNESS AMONGST HEALTHCARE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Arbaz Gul Abro; Muhammad Aliyan Ahmed; Mahrukh Abro; Abdul Sami; Tariq Feroz

doi:10.63050/jpps.21.04.355

Arbaz Gul Abro Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro,Sindh,Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3023-3943
Muhammad Aliyan Ahmed Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro,Sindh,Pakistan https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3729-111X
Mahrukh Abro Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro,Sindh,Pakistan https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7541-1463
Abdul Sami Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro,Sindh,Pakistan https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6623-257X
Tariq Feroz Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro,Sindh,Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3569-9280

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63050/jpps.21.04.355

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective: To examine and compare the differences in attitudes of healthcare university students towards mental illness from urban and rural backgrounds.

Design: Cross-sectional study

Place and duration of study: Study was conducted at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro, Sindh from October to December 2023.

Methods: Sampling population were undergraduate students registered in different undergraduate healthcare programs (MBBS, BDS, DPT, Pharmacy, Nursing, Biomedical Engineering, BS MLT, BSRT, BS Forensic Chemistry/Biology and other allied departments), aged 18-27 years, of either gender, gave their consent of participation were included in the study. Data was collected with the help of online questionnaire. Mental Illness Clinician Attitude Scale (MICA-2 and 4) were employed to assess the healthcare student’s attitude towards mental illness.

Results: There was female preponderance and mean age of subjects was 21.38 years ± SD 1.689. Majority of students were from MBBS and studying in final year and belonged to rural areas. The Median MICA score was 52. There was significant difference between scores of rural and urban students and statistically significant difference was noted among students from different departments and academic years.

Conclusion: Overall attitude of healthcare university undergraduate students towards mental health illness is unsatisfactory. Whereas, the students from rural areas had poor attitude towards mental illness compared with those from the urban areas.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

References:
1. Health WHO [Internet]. Available from: https://www.who.int/about/accountability/governance/constitution
2. Mental Health [Internet]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
3. Mental Illness Burden [Internet]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_2
4. Mental Disorder [Internet]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders
5. Waqas A, Malik S, Fida A, Abbas N, Mian N, Miryala S, et al. Interventions to Reduce Stigma Related to Mental Illnesses in Educational Institutes: a Systematic Review. Psychiatr Q [Internet]. 2020 Sep;91(3):887–903. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11126-020-09751-4
6. Khorrami Z, Sayarifard A, Ghahari S, Memaryan N, Pirmoradi M, Ghadirian L. High School Students’ Depression Literacy about Interventions and Prevention: A Survey in Tehran. Depress Res Treat [Internet]. 2023;2023:8540614. Available from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drt/2023/8540614/
7. Kritsotakis G, Galanis P, Papastefanakis E, Meidani F, Philalithis AE, Kalokairinou A, et al. Attitudes towards people with physical or intellectual disabilities among nursing, social work and medical students. J Clin Nurs [Internet]. 2017 Dec;26(23–24):4951–63. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocn.13988
8. Shahwan S, Lau JH, Goh CMJ, Ong WJ, Tan GTH, Kwok KW, et al. The potential impact of an anti-stigma intervention on mental health help-seeking attitudes among university students. BMC Psychiatry [Internet]. 2020 Nov;20(1):562. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-020-02960-y
9. Chen YH, Hsiao CY, Chien HW. Attitudes Toward People With Schizophrenia Among Undergraduate Nursing Students. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc [Internet]. 2022 May;10783903221096360. Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10783903221096360
10. Poreddi V, Anjanappa S, Reddy S. Attitudes of under graduate nursing students to suicide and their role in caring of persons with suicidal behaviors. Arch Psychiatr Nurs [Internet]. 2021 Dec;35(6):583–6. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0883941721001254
11. Bharathy A, Foo PL, Russell V. Changing undergraduate attitudes to mental illness. Clin Teach [Internet]. 2016 Feb;13(1):58–62. Available from: https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tct.12372
12. Alaqeel M, Moukaddem A, Alzighaibi R, Alharbi A, Alshehry M, Alsadun D. The level of the stigma of medical students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, towards mentally ill patients. J Fam Med Prim care [Internet]. 2020 Nov;9(11):5665–70. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/jfmpc/fulltext/2020/09110/the_level_of_the_stigma_of_medical_students_at.40.aspx
13. Bouyssi A, Prebois S, Rougé-Bugat ME, Dupouy J, Driot D. [Stigmatisation of patients with mental disorders by medical interns specialising in general practice: A national survey]. Encephale [Internet]. 2023 Feb;49(1):65–71. Available from: https://europepmc.org/article/med/36253178
14. Gabbidon J, Clement S, van Nieuwenhuizen A, Kassam A, Brohan E, Norman I, et al. Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes (MICA) Scale—Psychometric properties of a version for healthcare students and professionals. Psychiatry Res [Internet]. 2013 Mar 30 [cited 2023 Sep 26];206(1):81–7. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016517811200529X
15. Kassam A, Glozier N, Leese M, Henderson C, Thornicroft G. Development and responsiveness of a scale to measure clinicians’ attitudes to people with mental illness (medical student version). Acta Psychiatr Scand [Internet]. 2010 Aug;122(2):153–61. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01562.x
16. Azad N, Mansoor S, Abbas N, Ul Ain Q. Association of Attitude Towards Mental Illness with Exposure to Psychiatry in Medical Students. Ann King Edward Med Univ [Internet]. 2022 Nov 25;28(2):146–51. Available from: https://annalskemu.org/journal/index.php/annals/article/view/5087
17. Ouazzani Housni Touhami Y, Tabril T, Benhammou I, Benhaddouch Y, Baqadir C, Essounni M, et al. Stigmatizing attitudes and social perception towards mental illness among Moroccan medical students. Encephale [Internet]. 2023 Jun;49(3):275–83. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35331470
18. SL O. Assessing the attitudes of medical students in their fourth year of study towards psychiatry and mental illness. Available from: https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/ef17997e-9b8b-47fd-8682-3788a030366f/content
19. Kumar AAW, Liu ZF, Han J, Patil S, Tang L, McGurgan P, et al. Stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness: A cross-sectional survey of Australian medical students. Australas Psychiatry [Internet]. 2023 Dec;31(6):734–40. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37724416
20. Babicki M, Kowalski K, Bogudzińska B, Piotrowski P. The Assessment of Attitudes of Students at Medical Schools towards Psychiatry and Psychiatric Patients-A Cross-Sectional Online Survey. Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. 2021 Apr 21;18(9). Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33919458
21. Márquez-Cervantes E, Romero-Guerra DH CEA. Mental illness attitudes in medical education: Assessing the stigma in medical students. Salud Ment [Internet]. 2023;2(46):105–10. Available from: https://www.medigraphic.com/cgi-bin/new/resumenI.cgi?IDARTICULO=111365
22. Simon N, Verdoux H. [Impact of education program and clinical posting in psychiatry on medical students’ stigmatizing attitudes towards psychiatry and psychiatric disorders]. Encephale [Internet]. 2018 Sep;44(4):329–36. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28606624
23. Pakistan Social and living Standards Measurement Survey (PSLM) 2018-19 Report [Internet]. Available from: https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/pslm/publications/pslm2018-19/pslm_report_2018-19_national_provincial.pdf
24. Abdullah M, Sethi MR, Irfan M. Gender Differences Regarding Stigma Towards Mental Illness Among Medical Students Of Peshawar. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad [Internet]. 2021;33(1):120–4. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33774967
25. Babicki M, Małecka M, Kowalski K, Bogudzińska B, Piotrowski P. Stigma Levels Toward Psychiatric Patients Among Medical Students—A Worldwide Online Survey Across 65 Countries. Front Psychiatry [Internet]. 2021 Dec 13;12. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.798909/full
26. Masedo A, Grandón P, Saldivia S, Vielma-Aguilera A, Castro-Alzate ES, Bustos C, et al. A multicentric study on stigma towards people with mental illness in health sciences students. BMC Med Educ [Internet]. 2021 Jun 7;21(1):324. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34092225