Attitude toward mental illness among a sample of medical students and non-psychiatric doctors at Badr University, Egypt

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite modern changes in global attitudes toward mental illness, it is still counted as the most stigmatized illness worldwide. This negative attitude extends to medical health practitioners; thus, negatively impacting accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and the overall well-being of patients. This study aimed to assess stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness among undergraduate medical students and non-psychiatric doctors, and to identify various sociodemographic and clinical factors affecting their attitudes. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December 2024. The study involved 605 medical students and 59 non-psychiatric doctors at the School of Medicine at Badr University in Cairo, Egypt. This study was disseminated via online surveys. Stigma attitude was evaluated using Mental Illness Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale-2 (MICA-2) for medical students and Mental Illness Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale-4 (MICA-4) for non-psychiatric doctors, while sociodemographic and clinical variables were evaluated via a designed questionnaire. The data were examined using both descriptive and comparative methods through SPSS software, version 27. A P value below 0.05 was interpreted as statistically significant. Results Overall, 88.1% of non-psychiatric doctors and 84.3% of undergraduate medical students showed positive attitudes toward individuals with mental illness. The mean MICA-2 score was 48.12 ± 8.13 and MICA-4 was 45.15 ± 8.44. Positive history of mental illness, previous contact with a mentally ill patient ( P value = 0.001 and P value = 0.005, respectively), as well as previous attendance to anti-stigma campaigns ( P = 0.001) appeared to contribute to more favorable attitudes toward mental diseases among students. In non-psychiatric doctors, a high professional degree was highly associated with negative attitudes while medical specialty had no effect on their attitudes. Conclusion This study demonstrated a high percentage of positive attitudes among medical students and non-psychiatric doctors. This study provides a new perspective on stigma research, calling for construction and implementation of more effective anti-stigma measures, particularly within medical education, focusing not only on medical students but also on their educational providers.