Attitudes of pharmacy and non-pharmacy students towards mental illness in Nigeria: a comparative survey

Abstract

Objectives Globally, persons with mental illness are victims of stigma, even among healthcare professionals and trainees. However, in Nigeria, little is known about the attitudes of pharmacy students towards people with mental illness. Therefore, the objectives of this paper were to assess and compare the attitudes of pharmacy and non-pharmacy students towards mental illness and explore its associated demographic factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among pharmacy and selected non-pharmacy students of a Nigerian university. The Attitude Scale for Mental Illness was used for data collection. The survey instrument was distributed to and completed by selected students in batches after normal class lectures. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test and Student’s t-test were used for data analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Key findings The key findings showed that pharmacy and non-pharmacy students generally demonstrated positive attitudes towards mental illness. Pharmacy students had more positive, less stigmatizing attitudes compared with students of non-pharmacy courses. Students' attitudes towards mental illness were significantly influenced by gender, age, a previous visit to a mental hospital and knowing a family member or friend with a mental illness. Conclusions Our findings suggest that students' attitudes towards mental illness were positive but sub-optimal. Student pharmacists demonstrated more positive attitudes towards mental illness compared with non-pharmacy students. However, the major contributors to positive attitudes were male gender, older age, a previous visit to a mental hospital and having a close associate with a mental illness. Therefore, educational interventions addressing students’ misconceptions of mental illness are recommended.

Psychological state and family functioning of University of Ibadan students during the COVID-19 lockdown

“…Two studies carried out in 2017, and 2018 [44, [45] had shown a negative attitude towards mental illness among young people in a secondary school and a University in Nigeria, respectively. Another study reported a positive attitude by Pharmacy students [46].…”

Community Psychiatry Care: An Urgent Need in Nigeria

“…Studies reported the same discriminatory attitudes among all cadres of people, including healthcare workers and even clergymen. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] There is the need for a shift from inpatient psychiatric mental health care towards a community-based care.…”

The effect of classroom lectures and a movie recommendation on pharmacy students' attitudes and social distancing toward people with schizophrenia

“…Previous studies 13 - 15 show that pharmacy students have negative attitudes toward people with mental health disorders. Assessing pharmacy students' attitudes toward people with mental health disorders is important as pharmacy students represent future pharmacists, and improving their attitudes through interventions implemented at this stage to address the negative attitudes, if any, may translate to better service delivery when they, in turn, become practicing pharmacists.…”

“… 19 Few studies among pharmacy students in Nigeria show negative attitudes and stigma. 15 , 20 The module on mental health disorders is taught in the final year of the BPharm degree program. The pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia is a major focus of this module, and case studies of patients with schizophrenia are discussed at the end of lectures.…”