Public stigma profile toward mental disorders across different university degrees in the University of Valencia (Spain)

Abstract

BackgroundA large proportion of studies carried out in recent years in different populations have shown that stigma toward mental disorders is highly prevalent. In the present study we conducted a comprehensive assessment of stigma to describe and compare stigma toward mental disorders in students enrolled in five different university degrees.MethodsThree hundred and twenty-five students from the University of Valencia (Spain), attending the second term of their first-degree courses in the faculties of medicine, psychology, teaching, economics, and data science participated in this cross-sectional study. Stigma was measured using: the Reported and Intended Behavior Scale (RIBS), the Scale of Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness (CAMI), the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27), and the Knowledge about Mental Illness test (KMI).ResultsWe found different patterns of stigma according to gender, the fact of knowing or living with a person with mental disorders and the university degree studied. Overall, women show fewer stigmatizing attitudes than men but similar stereotypes and prejudice toward people with mental disorders. However, the pattern of results across degrees is more complex. Overall, students of medicine, psychology and teaching showed fewer stigmatizing attitudes than students of economics and data science but differences between degrees were more subtle in stereotypes and prejudice toward people with mental disorders.ConclusionOur study suggests the existence of different profiles of stigma in relation to mental disorders in university students. These profiles varied in relation with the degree being studied, gender and already knowing or living with a person with mental disorders.

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Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of First-Episode Psychosis: A Pilot and Feasibility Non-Randomised Clinical Trial

“…Regarding the correlations performed, we find interesting to mention the statistically significant relation between age and work experience compared with "Fear", since it has been the only statistically significant negative variable, in contrast with that obtained in the study by Tooby and Cosmides (Tooby & Cosmides, 2015), in which "Fear" increased proportionally as age increased. Taking into account the scarce knowledge of the sample regarding psychosis and mental disorder, and that all scores of the AQ-27 subscales could be further reduced, we emphasise the importance of actively involving the healthcare and educational sectors in the needs and requests of adolescents regarding mental health (Chamorro et al, 2022;Fernandes et al, 2022;Ruiz et al, 2022;Saguem et al, 2023).…”