Perceived stigma toward mental health consumers does not influence willingness to seek mental health care nor psychiatry as a top residency choice among psychiatrically-minded 1st and 4th year medical students

Abstract

Objective: The relationship between 1st and 4th year medical students' perceptions of mental illness stigma, their willingness to seek professional help for a mental health problem and their choice of psychiatry as a residency was assessed. Method: The survey was completed online, using well-established self-report inventories. Results: It appears that respondents with an interest in psychiatry have an accurate appraisal of the stigma experienced by those with a mental illness, and that this understanding develops independent of the knowledge and experience gained during their medical education. Perception of stigma had no influence on students' helpseeking orientation. Finally, medical students appear to develop an interest in psychiatry before their exposure to the specialty in the medical program. Conclusion: The stigma surrounding mental illness is not a barrier to seeking mental health care among this group of medical students. The results of the present study are discussed and evaluated in the context of the study's limitations.