Attitude of Medical Students towards Psychiatry: The case of Jimma University, Southwest Ethiopia
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: The inability to attract medical graduates tospecialize in psychiatry has always been a serious challenge topsychiatry training programs. Therefore, the aim of this study wasto assess the attitude of medical students towards psychiatry.METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional survey was conductedamong 122 fourth year medical students of Jimma University. Theattitude of medical students towards psychiatry was measured byAttitude toward Psychiatry – 30 (ATP-30). The collected Data wereanalyzed by SPSS version-20 using independent samples t-test plusbivariate and multivariate logistic regression. The level ofsignificance was determined at 95% confidence interval.RESULTS: Medical students who did not take psychiatry clinicalrotation had a higher ATP-30 mean score 55.52(±15.2) indicatingpositive attitude towards psychiatry than those who completedpsychiatry clinical rotation (mean= 49.75 ±10.67). Female medicalstudents had significantly more positive attitude towards psychiatrythan males (OR=9.23, 95% CI: 2.32; 36.76). Medical students whodid not take psychiatry clinical rotation had more positive attitudetowards psychiatry than students who completed the psychiatryclinical rotation (OR=7.58, 95% CI: 2.02; 28.37). Subjectiveexperience of mental illness and reported family history of mentalillness significantly predicted positive attitude toward psychiatry.CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that doing psychiatryrotation might have affected the attitude of medical studentstowards psychiatry. Future research should assess the experientialfactors during psychiatry training of medical students that affecttheir attitudes. Also, future research needs to evaluate the attitudesof fourth year medical students before and after their psychiatryclinical rotation.