Estigma da doença mental entre estudantes de medicina: estudo transversal de fatores associados

Abstract

Introduction: Stigma is one of the main barriers to seek treatment for mental illness. It also leads to loss of social opportunities, interfering with the quality of life. Even health professionals which have been trained in psychiatry can act as perpetuators of stigma towards mental illness. Objective: To analyze the correlation between sociodemographic characteristics and the period of medical education with level of stigma to assess stigma towards mental illness among medical students. Method: This is an analytical cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. Medical students at the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Alagoas were surveyed using a sociodemographic questionnaire and the attribution questionnaire AQ-26B. For statistical analysis’ purpose, students were divided into group 0 (initial phase of the course, first and second semester) and group 1 (final phase, tenth and eleventh semesters). Results: Out of a total 200 students, 129 responded to the questionnaires, of which 69 (53.5%) identified themselves as female. The mean age was 24.1 (±3.7) years old. The sociodemographic characteristics that were associated with lower levels of stigma were being female, higher age, having a family member with a mental disorder, daily contact with others known to have a mental disorder, and having a strong interest in being psychiatrist. Students in the final phase of the course had lower scores on Fear (p < 0.01) and Segregation (p < 0.01) factors and higher scores on Helplessness (p < 0.05) and Accountability (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Interest in being psychiatrist was the main characteristic associated with better attitudes in the Helplessness, Segregation and Avoidance factors. Students who have Family members with a mental disorder, as well as those who have daily contact with significant others that are mentally ill, showed less attitudes towards Fear factor, reinforcing that proximity to mental illness plays an important role in reducing stigma. Advancing in the medical course was associated with better scores in some atitudes and worse scores in others, reinforcing the importance of incorporating anti-stigma strategies into medical training.