Positive attitudes towards psychiatry among Chinese medical students. (February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Williams, Joshua A; Liu, Ni; Afzal, Khalid; Cooper, Brian; Sherer, Renslow; Morgan, Ivy; Dong, Hongmei
• Is Part Of: International journal of social psychiatry. Volume 60:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: 21
• Page End: 29
• Publication Date: 2014-02
• Subjects: Medical students -- psychiatric training -- attitudes toward mental illness -- mental health in China -- medical education in China; Social psychiatry -- Periodicals; 362.205
• DOI: 10.1177/0020764012467259
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7640

Abstract

Background and aims: Increasingly positive attitudes have been reported among young people in China towards mental illness, but little is known about Chinese medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry, psychiatric services and patients. Methods: We administered a bilingual survey to Wuhan University medical students in the final years of their clinical training. Primary outcomes were composite scores on a 21-item attitudes toward psychiatry (ATP) survey and the number of correct responses to diagnostic questions following a series of three clinical case vignettes. Results: Mean composite score on the ATP items was 78/105 (SD = 9.6), representing overall positive attitudes among the students. Female gender and having learned about more psychiatric disorders were positively associated with a higher mean ATP score and remained so after adjustment for relevant covariates. Conclusions: Chinese medical students reported positive attitudes towards psychiatry, openness with regard to psychiatric services, and respect for psychiatric patients. Learning about a broad spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses and greater clinical contact with patients may improve overall attitudes of Chinese medical students towards psychiatry and their ability to make accurate diagnoses.