Views of Future Doctors on the Current Mental Health Clerkship Programme of a Nigerian University

Abstract

Background: Mental illnesses are a major public health problem around the world and the prevalence and burden of common mental disorders is growing, especially in Nigeria with a longstanding history of economic instability and security challenges. The psychiatry clerkship can play an important role in influencing students' attitudes towards psychiatry, either positively or negatively. The experience gathered by students during the posting, as a result of input from psychiatric doctors (consultants and trainee psychiatrists), other mental health practitioners, and the patients themselves contributes to the acquired benefits. Objective: This study aimed to assess the overall perception of a two-week psychiatry clerkship by students at a Nigerian university.