Impact of clinical posting in psychiatry on the attitude towards mental illness in undergraduate final year medical students.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The stigma in psychiatry is pervasive, it is more serious obstacle for treatment initiation. Stigmatization among health professional themselves can result in compromised patient care. The aim of this study is to see the impact of psychiatry clinical posting on the attitude of medical students towards, psychiatry and mental illness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 30 final year medical students participated to this study. The attitude towards psychiatry (ATP) and the attitude towards mental illness (AMI) questionnaire were administered before and after 15 days clinical posting in psychiatry. RESULT: Medical students had favorable attitude towards psychiatry and mental illness with in a mean score of 108.34 on ATP and on 68.24AMI. There was a significant increase in the mean score of both scales after the psychiatry clinical posting. AMI and ATP for female and for male (AMI - ATP). CONCLUSION: A 15 days clinical posting of final year medical students in psychiatry was associated with an increase in positive attitude towards mental illness and psychiatry among female students but not among male students and posting reduces the stigma among the students also.