Knowledge, attitudes and practices in mental health of health professionals at the end of their curriculum in Burkina Faso: A pilot study

AIM: To study the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding mental health amongst health professionals at the end of their curriculum in Burkina Faso. DESIGN: A descriptive and cross‐sectional study was adopted. METHODS: A simple random sampling was used to select 420 health students in Burkina Faso. Self‐administered questionnaires on sociodemographic profile, knowledge, attitudes and practices about mental health were distributed. RESULTS: The response rate to the questionnaires was 93%. Our study sample included 391 students amongst whom 35% (138/391) were nurse students, 32% (125/391) medical students, 26% (100/391) midwife students and 7% (28/391) were pharmacy students. A quarter of our sample had completed an internship in psychiatry. Medical students’ average knowledge, attitudes and practices in mental health were significantly higher than that of other students. Medical students had more time dedicated to mental health lectures and more opportunities for a mental health internship, unlike nurse students.