Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

Introduction: Mental illness is mental and emotional disturbances that affect individual thinking, feeling, decision-making, mood, and daily functioning. A poor attitude toward severe mental illness means an individual has a distorted perception or attitude toward severely mentally ill patients. Des...

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Main Authors: Mamaru Melkam, Girum Nakie, Girmaw Medfu Takelle, Likinaw Abebaw Wassie, Shegaye Shumet
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-10-01
Series:Heliyon
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024155430
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author Mamaru Melkam
Girum Nakie
Girmaw Medfu Takelle
Likinaw Abebaw Wassie
Shegaye Shumet
author_facet Mamaru Melkam
Girum Nakie
Girmaw Medfu Takelle
Likinaw Abebaw Wassie
Shegaye Shumet
author_sort Mamaru Melkam
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Mental illness is mental and emotional disturbances that affect individual thinking, feeling, decision-making, mood, and daily functioning. A poor attitude toward severe mental illness means an individual has a distorted perception or attitude toward severely mentally ill patients. Despite the presence of a high burden of negative attitudes toward severe mental illness, there is a limited study conducted on Ethiopian University students. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the prevalence of poor attitudes toward severe mental illness and its associated factors among University Gondar medical students in Northwest Ethiopia. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed from Jun 25 to August 15, 2022. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to screen the attitudes of students toward severe mental illness. Mental Illness Clinician's Attitude fourth version and Mental Health Knowledge Schedule score tools were used to screen the attitude of students. Bi-variable logistic regression analysis was employed and variables with a p-value of less than 0.25 were entered into the multivariable logistic regression for further analysis. Factors with a p-value less than 0.05 at a 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) in the multivariable logistic regression analysis were considered statistically significantly associated. Results: From the total of 423 study participants with a 100 % response rate the overall prevalence of poor attitude towards severe mental illness among university students was 68.1 % with a 95 % CI (63.6–72.6). Age (18–24) [AOR = 2.47; 95 % CI: (1.37,4.45)], being male [AOR = 3.22; 95 % CI: (2.01–5.17)], from a rural area [AOR = 1.82; 95 % CI: (1.13–2.93)], and with no family history of mental illness [AOR = 2.07; 95 % CI: (1.12–3.82)] were statistically significantly associated factors with poor attitude towards severe mental illness. Conclusions: and recommendations: Approximately three-fourths of university Gondar medical students (68.1 %) had poor attitudes towards severe mental illness. Age (18–24), being male, originating from a rural area, and with no family history of mental illness were significantly associated with a poor attitude toward severe mental illness. Awareness creation about mental illness can change the attitude of students which can be done by the mental health department to give as a common course can help the student to have a positive attitude.
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spelling doaj-art-07f686a1e5e04fbfa1a6086d7ef8cbe92024-11-12T05:20:51ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402024-10-011020e39512Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest EthiopiaMamaru Melkam0Girum Nakie1Girmaw Medfu Takelle2Likinaw Abebaw Wassie3Shegaye Shumet4University of Gondar College of Medicine Health Science Department of Psychiatry, Ethiopia; Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.University of Gondar College of Medicine Health Science Department of Psychiatry, EthiopiaUniversity of Gondar College of Medicine Health Science Department of Psychiatry, EthiopiaUniversity of Gondar College of Medicine Health Science Department of Medical Nursing, EthiopiaUniversity of Gondar College of Medicine Health Science Department of Psychiatry, EthiopiaIntroduction: Mental illness is mental and emotional disturbances that affect individual thinking, feeling, decision-making, mood, and daily functioning. A poor attitude toward severe mental illness means an individual has a distorted perception or attitude toward severely mentally ill patients. Despite the presence of a high burden of negative attitudes toward severe mental illness, there is a limited study conducted on Ethiopian University students. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the prevalence of poor attitudes toward severe mental illness and its associated factors among University Gondar medical students in Northwest Ethiopia. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed from Jun 25 to August 15, 2022. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to screen the attitudes of students toward severe mental illness. Mental Illness Clinician's Attitude fourth version and Mental Health Knowledge Schedule score tools were used to screen the attitude of students. Bi-variable logistic regression analysis was employed and variables with a p-value of less than 0.25 were entered into the multivariable logistic regression for further analysis. Factors with a p-value less than 0.05 at a 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) in the multivariable logistic regression analysis were considered statistically significantly associated. Results: From the total of 423 study participants with a 100 % response rate the overall prevalence of poor attitude towards severe mental illness among university students was 68.1 % with a 95 % CI (63.6–72.6). Age (18–24) [AOR = 2.47; 95 % CI: (1.37,4.45)], being male [AOR = 3.22; 95 % CI: (2.01–5.17)], from a rural area [AOR = 1.82; 95 % CI: (1.13–2.93)], and with no family history of mental illness [AOR = 2.07; 95 % CI: (1.12–3.82)] were statistically significantly associated factors with poor attitude towards severe mental illness. Conclusions: and recommendations: Approximately three-fourths of university Gondar medical students (68.1 %) had poor attitudes towards severe mental illness. Age (18–24), being male, originating from a rural area, and with no family history of mental illness were significantly associated with a poor attitude toward severe mental illness. Awareness creation about mental illness can change the attitude of students which can be done by the mental health department to give as a common course can help the student to have a positive attitude.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024155430Severe mental illnessAttitudePrevalenceEthiopia
spellingShingle Mamaru Melkam
Girum Nakie
Girmaw Medfu Takelle
Likinaw Abebaw Wassie
Shegaye Shumet
Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
Heliyon
Severe mental illness
Attitude
Prevalence
Ethiopia
title Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
title_full Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
title_fullStr Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
title_short Medical student's attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
title_sort medical student s attitude toward severe mental illness and its associated factors at the university of gondar northwest ethiopia
topic Severe mental illness
Attitude
Prevalence
Ethiopia
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024155430
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