Background and purpose

Mental health stigma among healthcare providers remains a significant barrier to patients receiving optimal care for psychiatric conditions. This study's purpose is to evaluate the impact of a psychiatry elective on pharmacy students' attitudes toward patients with mental health disorders.

Educational activity and setting

This study cohort included pharmacy students enrolled in a Special Topics in Psychiatry elective. Attitudes toward mental health disorders were measured at baseline (first day of class) and post-exposure (last day of class) using the 21-item Beliefs toward Mental Illness (BMI) Scale. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare each component of the BMI scale as well as each subscale (dangerousness, poor social and interpersonal skills, and incurability) at baseline and post-exposure.

Findings

Fifty-eight pharmacy students (68% response rate) participated in this study. Most respondents were in their first year of the pharmacy program (44%), female (72%), and Asian (59%). There was a statistically significant decline in each BMI subscale at the end of the course: dangerousness, poor interpersonal and social skills, and incurability. There was no significant difference in mean change for the BMI sub-scores by gender, race, or personal experience with mental health disorders.

Summary

Incorporating a psychiatry elective into the pharmacy school curriculum can improve attitudes toward patients with mental health disorders. Future areas of research are warranted on the influence of specific components of a psychiatry elective that impact BMI scores and whether this translates to improved quality of care during clinical practice.

中文翻译：

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精神病学选修课对药学学生心理健康污名的影响

背景和目的

医疗保健提供者中的心理健康污名仍然是患者接受精神疾病最佳护理的重大障碍。本研究的目的是评估精神病学选修课对药学学生对精神健康障碍患者态度的影响。

教育活动和环境

该研究队列包括参加精神病学选修课特殊主题的药学学生。使用 21 项精神疾病信念 (BMI) 量表在基线（上课第一天）和暴露后（上课最后一天）测量对精神健康障碍的态度。Wilcoxon 符号秩检验用于比较基线和暴露后 BMI 量表的每个组成部分以及每个子量表（危险性、社交和人际交往能力差以及无法治愈）。

发现

58 名药学学生（68% 的回应率）参与了这项研究。大多数受访者在第一年就读药学课程 (44%)、女性 (72%) 和亚洲人 (59%)。在课程结束时，每个 BMI 子量表在统计上都有显着下降：危险性、人际关系和社交技能差以及无法治愈。不同性别、种族或精神健康障碍的个人经历的 BMI 子分数的平均变化没有显着差异。

概括

将精神病学选修课纳入药学院课程可以改善对精神健康障碍患者的态度。未来的研究领域需要关注影响 BMI 分数的精神病学选修课的特定组成部分的影响，以及这是否会转化为临床实践中护理质量的提高。