Amaechi Ifeoma Adaigwe, Nwani Paul Osemeke, Akadieze Augustine Onyebuchi
Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
Department of Internal Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
J Educ Health Promot. 2023 Mar 31;12:82. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_730_22. eCollection 2023.
Stigma toward mental illness (MI), physical disability (DA), and emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) has been identified as a form of violence and a cause of nontake-up of help by people in need. Stigmatization can aggravate an individual's feeling of rejection and incompetence and can be detrimental to treatment-seeking and adherence behaviors. This study evaluated the attitude of healthcare students toward MI, DA, and EBDs.
This study employed a cross-sectional survey method. A disproportionate stratified sampling technique was used to recruit participants. Sixty five consenting students who met the inclusion criteria were consecutively recruited from each clinical department of the college. The students were selected from the five clinical departments of the College (Nursing sciences, Medical Rehabilitation, Radiography, Medical laboratory science, and Medicine). The questionnaires on stigmatizing attitudes toward MI, EBD, and DA were self-administered. Descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentage, range, mean, and standard deviation were used to summarize participants' sociodemographic data and their questionnaire scores. Inferential statistics of Spearman rank order correlation was used to test for correlation; Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the influence of gender, religion, and family history; and Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test the influence of department of study and level of study. Alpha level was set at 0.05.
Three hundred twenty seven students comprising 164 (50.2%) males and 163 (49.8%) females participated. Mean age of participants was 22.89 ± 2.05 years. 45.3% of the participants reported positive family history of one or a combination of MI, DA, and EBDs. The study observed poor attitude toward MI and fair attitude toward DA and EBD. There were significant correlations between attitudes toward MI and disability (r = 0.36, =.000033), MI and EBD (r = 0.23, =.000023), disability and EBD (r = 0.46, =.000001), and age and attitude toward disability (r = 0.15, =.009). Females had significantly more positive attitude toward disability ( =.03) and EBDs ( =.03). Nursing students also demonstrated the most positive attitudes toward MI ( =.03) and EBD ( =.000416), while final year students demonstrated the most positive attitudes toward MI ( =.00145) and EBDs ( =.03).
There was a poor attitude toward MI and a fair attitude toward DA and EBD. Attitude toward MI, DA, and EBD correlated significantly with one another. Older students, females, and higher levels of training in the healthcare profession were associated with more positive attitudes toward MI, DA, and EBDs.
对精神疾病（MI）、身体残疾（DA）和情绪/行为障碍（EBD）的污名化已被视为一种暴力形式，也是有需要的人不寻求帮助的原因。污名化会加剧个体的被排斥感和无能感，对寻求治疗和坚持治疗行为有害。本研究评估了医学生对MI、DA和EBD的态度。
本研究采用横断面调查方法。采用不成比例分层抽样技术招募参与者。从学院的每个临床科室连续招募了65名符合纳入标准且同意参与的学生。这些学生选自学院的五个临床科室（护理科学、医学康复、放射学、医学检验科学和医学）。关于对MI、EBD和DA的污名化态度的问卷由学生自行填写。使用频率计数、百分比、范围、均值和标准差等描述性统计方法来总结参与者的社会人口统计学数据及其问卷得分。使用Spearman等级相关的推断统计来检验相关性；使用Mann-Whitney U检验来检验性别、宗教和家族史的影响；使用Kruskal-Wallis检验来检验学习科室和学习水平的影响。显著性水平设定为0.05。
327名学生参与了研究，其中男性164名（50.2%），女性163名（49.8%）。参与者的平均年龄为22.89±2.05岁。45.3%的参与者报告有MI、DA和EBD中一种或多种的阳性家族史。研究发现对MI的态度较差，对DA和EBD的态度一般。对MI与残疾之间（r = 0.36，p =.000033）、MI与EBD之间（r = 0.23，p =.000023）、残疾与EBD之间（r = 0.46，p =.000001）以及年龄与对残疾的态度之间（r = 0.15，p =.009）存在显著相关性。女性对残疾（p =.03）和EBD（p =.03）的态度明显更积极。护理专业学生对MI（p =.03）和EBD（p =.000416）的态度也最积极，而最后一年的学生对MI（p =.00145）和EBD（p =.03）的态度最积极。
对MI的态度较差，对DA和EBD的态度一般。对MI、DA和EBD的态度之间存在显著相关性。年龄较大的学生、女性以及医疗保健专业中更高的培训水平与对MI、DA和EBD更积极的态度相关。
