E-ISSN 2636-834X
 

Original Research 


Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia

Emin Oryal Taşkın, Kadir Aşçıbaşı, Fikret Poyraz Çökmüş, Erol Özmen.

Abstract
Objective: Individuals with mental disorders tend to present first to the primary healthcare facilities, emergency departments or physicians specialized in non-psychiatric areas for various reasons. Considering this, the present study aimed at evaluating the attitudes of resident physicians working in a university hospital (future specialists) towards schizophrenia.
Methods: From the 230 resident physicians working in the university hospital, 222 were contacted and the data of 170 physicians who filled out the questionnaires completely were included in the assessment. The data collection procedure was completed in 6 months by two resident psychiatrists using the sealed envelope method for the questionnaires (a 11-item socio-demographic and 8-item professional information form and a 32-item attitude towards schizophrenia survey which was prepared by the Psychiatric Research and Training Center). The data were transferred to a database formed in the SPSS-PC statistical program and their frequency distribution was obtained. The effect of the socio-demographic and professional variables on the responses to the questionnaire items was tested using the logistic regression analysis.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 28.07±2.40 (min=24-max=42). Approximately 98.8% of them (n=168) described schizophrenia as “a disorder” and 78.2% (n=133) as “a mental disorder”. Some 64.1% (n=109) of the participants stated that schizophrenia was a congenital disease, 81.2% (n=138) that schizophrenia was a curable disease, 85.9% (n=145) that it would be treated with medications, 60% (n=102) that the medications used for treating schizophrenia would cause dependence, and 81.8% (n=139) that the medications used would involve serious side effects. Nearly 70.6% (n=120) of the participants stated that they could work with someone diagnosed with schizophrenia and 45.9% (n=78) that they could marry someone with schizophrenia. From the socio-demographic variables, “presence of psychiatric diagnosis in a close friend” (social acceptance of patients) and from the professional variables, “prior monitoring of a schizophrenic patient” (etiologic beliefs) were found to be effective variables.
Conclusion: The resident physicians were found to have correct knowledge of schizophrenia at a high rate considering it as a severe mental disorder and they were more concerned about the biological component of the biopsychosocial model in its etiology. However, the knowledge of the resident physicians on the effects and side effects of drugs seems to be insufficient or incorrect. The sample’s social acceptance of patients was generally good, but they tended to put social distance in situations requiring more personal intimacy. On the basis of all these results, in order to obtain more successful results in terms of the treatment of schizophrenia, we need to either review psychiatry in medical education or provide on-the-training, courses or information for non-psychiatric physicians. It is important for non-psychiatric physicians to have more accurate information and more positive attitudes towards the treatment of schizophrenia (particularly on medication) in terms of changing social attitudes in a positive way and referring patients appropriately to psychiatrists.

Key words: attitude; schizophrenia; stigma; resident physicians.


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Taşkın EO, Aşcıbaşı K, Cokmuş FP, Ozmen E, . Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia . PBS. 2019; 9(4): 147-157. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606


Web Style

Taşkın EO, Aşcıbaşı K, Cokmuş FP, Ozmen E, . Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia . https://www.pbsciences.org/?mno=48218 [Access: December 04, 2023]. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606


AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Taşkın EO, Aşcıbaşı K, Cokmuş FP, Ozmen E, . Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia . PBS. 2019; 9(4): 147-157. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606



Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Taşkın EO, Aşcıbaşı K, Cokmuş FP, Ozmen E, . Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia . PBS. (2019), [cited December 04, 2023]; 9(4): 147-157. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606



Harvard Style

Taşkın, E. O., Aşcıbaşı, K., Cokmuş, F. P., Ozmen, E. & (2019) Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia . PBS, 9 (4), 147-157. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606



Turabian Style

Taşkın, Emin Oryal, Kadir Aşcıbaşı, Fikret Poyraz Cokmuş, Erol Ozmen, and . 2019. Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia . Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 9 (4), 147-157. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606



Chicago Style

Taşkın, Emin Oryal, Kadir Aşcıbaşı, Fikret Poyraz Cokmuş, Erol Ozmen, and . "Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia ." Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences 9 (2019), 147-157. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606



MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Taşkın, Emin Oryal, Kadir Aşcıbaşı, Fikret Poyraz Cokmuş, Erol Ozmen, and . "Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia ." Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences 9.4 (2019), 147-157. Print. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606



APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Taşkın, E. O., Aşcıbaşı, K., Cokmuş, F. P., Ozmen, E. & (2019) Attitudes of Resident Physicians Working in a University Hospital Towards Schizophrenia . Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 9 (4), 147-157. doi:10.5455/PBS.20190513032606