Attitude towards mental health among postgraduate students and house surgeons in a tertiary teaching hospital at Kancheepuram: a questionnaire based study

ABSTRACT

Background: The stigma attached to mental illness and the mentally ill is a universal phenomenon and a major barrier to the provision of mental health services. Stigmatising attitude among doctors themselves can result in compromised patient care. Aims: To study the Perception & Attitude towards Mental Health among Post Graduate students of various specialities and House Surgeons. Methods: Cross sectional study involving post graduate students of various descriptive specialities and house surgeons at Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India. A modified version of Attitude towards psychiatry-30 (ATP-30) Questionnaire was used for the study. Statistical Analysis was done using the software, Graph Instapad with which Chi Square test with Yates correction was done. Results: The attitude of majority among postgraduate students and house surgeons in Meenakshi Medical college and research institute was positive (70.7%). Males (71.2%) had slightly more positive attitude than females (70.2%). House surgeons (80.4%) had more positive attitude than postgraduate students (64.6%).Non clinical post graduate students (81.8%) had more positive attitude than post graduate students of medical (53.7%) and surgical (68.8%) specialties. Participants posted in psychiatry posting prior to this study had slightly more positive attitude (72.5%) than those who did not (69.8%).Unmarried participants had more positive (73.4%) attitude than married participants (63.9%). Participants from urban background had more positive attitudes (81.2%) than with rural background (41.2%). Conclusion: There is need to create awareness among the non-psychiatry post graduate students about mental health and also introduce mental health education in rural areas.