The factors and outcomes of stigma toward mental disorders among medical and nursing students: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Medical and nursing students’ attitudes toward mental disorders have a large impact on their working intentions in mental health settings and patients’ health outcomes. However, there are few studies about the stigma toward mental disorders among medical and nursing students in China. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 838 medical and nursing students completed questionnaires on their sociodemographic characteristics and familiarity with people diagnosed with mental disorders as well as the Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness Scale (CAMI). The stigma was compared between medical students and nursing students by ANOVA. A multiple logistic regression model was built to explore the relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, familiarity with mental disorders and stigma. RESULTS: The total mean score of the CAMI was 137.61 (SD = 15.63). The score for authoritarianism (M = 33.33, SD = 3.62) was the lowest score of the four subscales. Medical students showed more positive attitudes toward mental disorders than nursing students. However, after controlling the co-variables, the difference disappeared. Stigma was significantly associated with students’ education, area of residence, marital status, economic status, history of mental disorders and familiarity with mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Medical and nursing students show a negative attitude toward mental illness to a certain degree, especially regarding the view that people with mental disorders are inferior. Higher education level, residence in urban areas, single marital status, better economic status, and better familiarity with mental disorders may be related to less stigma among medical and nursing students.