Factors Associated with Willingness to Visit Psychiatric Clinic among General Adult Population in Bucheon City / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate various factors associated with the willingness to visit psychiatric clinics among the general adult population in Bucheon city, South Korea. METHODS: One thousand seventy-five adults completed a self-questionnaire assessing their willingness to visit psychiatric clinics, family history of mental illnesses, frequency of contact with the mentally ill, stigma and discrimination toward the mentally ill, and the Community Attitude toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI). Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables associated with the willingness to visit psychiatric clinics. RESULTS: Study results showed that being single was associated with reduced willingness to visit psychiatric clinics. Subjects who had more frequent contact with mentally ill patients were more willing to visit psychiatric clinics. Concerning the CAMI scale, higher scores in authoritarianism and lower scores in benevolence subscales were associated with greater willingness to visit psychiatric clinic. Subjects who strongly admitted the existence of the stigma, and discrimination, toward mentally ill patients were more willing to visit psychiatric clinics. CONCLUSION: Enhanced understanding of the factors associated with the willingness to visit psychiatric clinics would be helpful in reducing barriers to mental health services utilization in the community.