Die Einstellung von Medizinstudenten gegenüber psychisch Kranken

Abstract

Numerous studies conducted during the past decades indicate that the public's attitude toward the mentally ill is strongly prejudiced. Since the attitude of the general public also has an effect on community-based psychiatric care, we must ask how public opinion might be influenced. One possible approach could be through so called key community leaders--those who are highly respected in society because of their competence in a particular area. Doctors belong to this group of people. For this reason we questioned medical students, as future key community leaders, with respect to their attitudes toward the mentally ill within the framework of their first contact with psychiatric patients during their studies. In order to make a direct comparison possible, we interviewed a sample of the Mannheim population who live in a part of the city where a variety of complementary facilities have been set up. The comparison shows that medical students do not have a more positive attitude toward the mentally ill; in fact, in certain areas they have an even more negative attitude toward the mentally ill than the general population has. We were not able to establish what effect teaching has with respect to changing attitudes.

Attitudes of Medical Students Towards Psychiatry

“…The reasons for this most likely go further back than prejudices of medical students regarding the mentally ill according to Roessler et al (1996). Even when a moderately positive attitude was already present there was a sustainable attitude improvement that coincided with an increase in the number of medical students who wanted to specialize in psychiatry.…”

Attitudes and Emotions of German Police Officers towards the Mentally Ill

“…Medical students also have a more negative attitude towards the mentally ill than the general public in some areas, which did not change even after the students had completed an internship in a psychiatric ward. Both groups of students rated mental patients as less peaceful and more frightening than the general public (Rössler et al, 1996).…”

Potentially Dangerous Behavior in the Mentally Ill: Attitudes of Journalists and Medical Students toward Compulsory Admission

“…Viennese medical students, in contrast, were much more prone to favor it. Although some authors have pointed out that wary attitudes decrease with education level, medical students and health professionals in general have been found to have rather more unfavorable attitudes toward the mentally ill than does the general population (Jorm et al, 1999;Madianos, Economou, Hatjiandreou, Papageorgiou, & Rogakou, 1999;Rössler et al, 1996). One explanation why medical students favor coercive measures more than do other groups might be that medical education favors the principle of treatment and healing as a paramount professional feature.…”