Title

Medical students' attitudes toward mental disorders before and after a psychiatric rotation

Authors

Steven W. Galka, Ball State University
David V. Perkins, Ball State University
Nancy Butler, Indiana University School of Medicine
Deborah A. Griffith, Indiana University School of Medicine
Alan D. Schmetzer, Indiana University School of Medicine
George Avirrappattu, Kean University
Joan Esterline Lafuze, Indiana University East

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2005

Abstract

Objective: This study examines medical students' attitudes about mental illness before and after a six-week psychiatry rotation. Methods: Six hundred seventy-two third-year students at Indiana University completed pre- and postrotation surveys assessing attitudes about causes and treatments of mental illness. We conducted paired sample t tests to identify pre- and postrotation differences in attitudes. Results: Following the rotation, students perceived biological and social causes of mental disorders as more important and treatments as more effective but showed no change in their beliefs about the importance of working with families. Conclusions: Participation in a psychiatry rotation can strengthen student attitudes about biologically- and socially-based causes and community based treatments for mental illness. Copyright © 2005 Academic Psychiatry.

Publication Title

Academic Psychiatry

First Page Number

357

Last Page Number

361

DOI

10.1176/appi.ap.29.4.357

Recommended Citation

Galka, Steven W.; Perkins, David V.; Butler, Nancy; Griffith, Deborah A.; Schmetzer, Alan D.; Avirrappattu, George; and Lafuze, Joan Esterline, "Medical students' attitudes toward mental disorders before and after a psychiatric rotation" (2005). Kean Publications. 2610.
https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/keanpublications/2610