Attitude towards patients with psychiatric illness among undergraduate medical students at Government Medical College: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: People with mental illnesses commonly experience stigma, discrimination, and prejudice from the general public and medical professionals around the world. Numerous research has looked into the unfavourable perceptions that medical students have of those who suffer from mental illness. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to study the attitude of undergraduate medical students towards patients with psychiatric illnesses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among undergraduate medical students who were exposed (n = 69) to 2-week psychiatry posting and attended lectures and those who were not exposed (n = 163) to psychiatry training using self-reported Attitude Scale for Mental Illness (ASMI) questionnaire via Google form distributed among medical students. RESULTS: The findings indicate there is no change in attitude toward the patient with psychiatric illness after exposure to psychiatry training among medical students. However, urban residence and female gender were the factors found to be influencing students’ attitudes towards patients with psychiatric illnesses. CONCLUSIONS: There was no change in attitude towards patients with psychiatric illness after psychiatry exposure. Students belonging to urban domicile and female students showed more sympathetic attitudes toward those with mental illnesses.