Change of attitudes towards psychiatric issues during medical education

Abstract

To focus on attitudes, this prospective study was conducted as a part of social psychiatric teaching. A group of students of the basic medical degree were examined twice during their studies and once after graduation. Respondents' own explicit attitudes and their perception of others' (i.e. own more unconscious) attitudes towards psychiatric patients, disorders and health care were evaluated by a questionnaire. These ratings differed remarkably, but within each attitude type the group was very homogeneous. Throughout the follow-up period the medical students and new doctors had very positive own attitudes towards psychiatric issues. There were, however, significant negative and positive attitude changes in many individual statements, mainly after the fourth year of study. Most of the changes could be explained with the increase of knowledge and the experience of real patients, but some negative changes indicated increasing cynicism. The ratings of other people's supposed attitudes changed significantly in a positive direction, mostly between the first and fourth year of study. Interpreting respondents' perception of others' attitudes as a projection of respondents' own attitudes, this study suggests that the education had changed unconscious attitudes of medical students in a positive direction. Good medical education should increase realism instead of idealism or cynicism. The model of all teachers and open discussion about emotions and attitudes is important.