Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness: a survey of medical students and interns from Southern Nigeria

Bawo Onesirosan James (Department of Clinical Services, Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City;)
Joyce Ohiole Omoaregba (Department of Clinical Services, Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City;)
Esther Osemudiamen Okogbenin (Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria)

Mental Illness

ISSN: 2036-7465

Article publication date: 30 January 2012

653
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Abstract

Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness are commonly reported among health professionals. Familiarity with mental illness has been reported to improve these attitudes. Very few studies have compared future medical doctors' attitudes toward types of mental illness, substance use disorders and physical illness. A cross-sectional survey of 5th and 6th year medical students as well as recently graduated medical doctors was conducted in April 2011. The 12-item level of contact report and the Attitude towards Mental Illness Questionnaire were administered. Partici -pants endorsed stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness; with attitudes more adverse for schizophrenia compared to depression. Stigmatising attitudes were similarly endorsed for substance use disorders. Paradoxically, attitudes towards HIV/AIDS were positive and similar to diabetes mellitus. Increasing familiarity with mental illness was weakly associated with better attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia. Stigmatising attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia are common among future doctors. Efforts to combat stigma are urgently needed and should be promoted among medical students and recent medical graduates.

Keywords

Citation

James, B.O., Omoaregba, J.O. and Okogbenin, E.O. (2012), "Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness: a survey of medical students and interns from Southern Nigeria", Mental Illness, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 32-34. https://doi.org/10.4081/mi.2012.e8

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012 B.O. James et al.

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (by-nc 3.0).


Corresponding author

Bawo Onesirosan James, Department of Clinical Services, Federal Psychiatric Hospital, P.M.B 1108, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Tel: +234.8023715213

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