Medical Students’ Attitudes and Views of Psychiatry

Balon, Richard; Franchini, Gregory; Freeman, Phillip S.; Hassenfeld, Irwin N.; Keshavan, Matcheri S.; Yoder, Ernest L.

doi:10.1007/bf03340033

Cited by 102 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…3,6,9,19,28,31 More than half of our student sample was put off a career in psychiatry by these perceptions. It was encouraging that students became less discouraged by a perceived lack of evidence base; possibly this relates in part to fourth-year Aberdeen students' participation in preparation and presentation of an evidence-based case study in psychiatry.…”

Section: Influences On Students' Career Choicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies support patient prognosis as a negative influence on attitudes and recruitment. 9,27,31,32 In Denmark, 32 students rated the degree to which they deemed treatment methods to be effective. Perceptions of the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment improved after 4-week psychiatric attachments but were still well below ratings for surgery, medicine and general practice.…”

Section: Influences On Students' Career Choicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors that discourage medical students from pursuing a career in psychiatry

Curtis-Barton

Eagles

2011

Psychiatrist

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Aims and methodThis cross-sectional study investigated the evolution of intentions among medical students to pursue a career in psychiatry and the factors that might discourage them from becoming a psychiatrist. A questionnaire survey was sent to medical students in years 1–5 at Aberdeen University.ResultsFrom 918 students, 467 (51%) returned useable responses. Proportions of students across the 5-year groups who definitely or probably intended to become psychiatrists remained fairly stable at 4–7%. In their final year, psychiatry remained a possible career option for a further 17% of students. The most potent discouraging factor was the perception of poor prognoses among psychiatric patients. Perceptions of a lack of scientific/evidence base reduced enthusiasm for becoming a psychiatrist. Issues relating to the prestige of the specialty were also important.ImplicationsIf recruitment to the specialty is to improve, these negative perceptions among students should be addressed by their teachers and more widely within psychiatry.

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Section: Influences On Students' Career Choicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Influences On Students' Career Choicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors that discourage medical students from pursuing a career in psychiatry

Curtis-Barton

Eagles

2011

Psychiatrist

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“…Overall, medical student attitudes towards psychiatry have become more positive over the past 50 years, 64 mirroring changes in the general population's attitudes towards mental illness. 65 Therefore attitudes alone do not explain psychiatry's current recruitment problem.…”

Section: Wider Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Narrative review of the impact of clinical psychiatry attachments on attitudes to psychiatry

Qureshi

Carney²,

Iversen

2013

Psychiatrist

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Aims and methodPsychiatry in the UK has long-standing issues in recruiting UK-trained doctors. A key potential influence on interest in psychiatry during medical school is the clinical attachment. This narrative review investigates how the clinical experience of psychiatry affects medical students' attitudes towards the specialty.ResultsWe identified 107 studies, of which 46 were included. They showed that clinical attachments in psychiatry did result in more positive attitudes towards the specialty and increased career interest. There was inconsistent evidence on whether interest was maintained, with some studies indicating that the increase is transient. Factors which may influence attitudes include attachment setting, duration and student demographics.Clinical implicationsThe results suggest a need to actively maintain interest in psychiatry throughout medical school. Research with long-term follow-up and evaluation of schemes to maintain students' interest is needed.

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“…[22][23][24] Medical students would be expected to be better informed and more accepting of mental illness, 22 but have been found to have negative attitudes similar to those of the general public. 25 The present study set out to determine medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry as a profession and a choice for future specialisation. The study, which as far as the author is aware is the first in this geographical area, also investigated the effect of clerkship on students' views of psychiatry.…”

Section: Conclusion a Clinical Clerkship In Psychiatry Did Not Influmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes towards psychiatry of undergraduate medical students at Bayero University, Nigeria

Aghukwa

2010

S. Afr. J. Psych.

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Background. This study determined and compared responses of 5th- and 6th (final)-year medical students on their attitudes to psychiatry as a profession. Also elicited were their choices of area of future medical specialisation.Method. A prospective and cross-sectional study using an adapted 27-item self-administered questionnaire to obtain responses from 91 5th- and 6th-year medical students at Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.Results. More than 60% of the students’ first choices for future specialisation were surgery, obstetrics/gynaecology or internal medicine. Psychiatry was the first preference for less than 2%. More than 75% of the students’ views on the overall merits and efficacy of psychiatry were positive, although they felt that psychiatry had low prestige and status as a profession. In addition, the same proportion considered that psychiatry was scientific, making advances in the treatment of major mental disorders, and helpful in liaison practice. More than 50% stated that psychiatry would not be their choice of last resort for residency education and the same proportion felt that friends and fellow students rather than family members would discourage them from specialising in psychiatry. More than 50% would feel uncomfortable with mentally ill patients, felt that psychiatry would not be financially rewarding, and did not think that psychiatrists abuse their legal power to hospitalise patients. Attitudes of the two groups of students to psychiatry as a profession were not significantly different (p>0.05).Conclusion. A clinical clerkship in psychiatry did not influence the students’ choice of future specialisation.

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Medical Students’ Attitudes and Views of Psychiatry

Cited by 102 publications

References 4 publications

Factors that discourage medical students from pursuing a career in psychiatry

Factors that discourage medical students from pursuing a career in psychiatry

Narrative review of the impact of clinical psychiatry attachments on attitudes to psychiatry

Attitudes towards psychiatry of undergraduate medical students at Bayero University, Nigeria

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