Stigma-discrimination against people with mental disorders in medical students

Abstract

Background: Mental disorders explain the lost years of healthy life in the world context and in Colombia mental disorders are a frequent reason for medical consultation. Negative attitudes towards people who meet criteria for mental disorders are related to the concepts of stigma, stereotype, prejudice and discrimination, recently conceptualized as the stigma-discrimination complex (CED). Medical professionals receive patients with mental disorders at the first levels of care and make up interdisciplinary teams in mental health units, for this reason the importance of studying stigma-discrimination in doctors in training. Objective: To know the frequency, variables associated with stigma - discrimination towards mental disorders in medical students. Methodology: Observational, analytical and cross-sectional study, made up of 507 medical students from two universities in Santa Marta, Colombia. Participants answered the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). Results: 22.6% of the medical students showed high stigma-discrimination towards mental disorders. No significant association was found between age, sex, partner, stratum, level of education, type of university with the presence of stigma-discrimination. Conclusion: one in 5 medical students has stigma for mental disorders.