Assessment of the Attitudes of Applied Medical Science Students toward Mental Health Problems: A Cross-sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Over the last decade, most populations have been reported to harbor negative perceptions toward individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental health problem (MHP; Prins et al., 2011; Sansone & Sansone, 2013). Likewise, individuals with MHP are often at the receiving end of negative reactions and stigmatization from the public (Sansone & Sansone, 2013). These negative attitudes manifest from ordinary persons and even from healthcare professionals (Hansson, Jormfeldt, Svedberg, & Svensson, 2013). Thus, these attitudes can affect the recruitment of future healthcare professionals specializing in mental healthcare, as well as the quality of care that healthcare professionals provide to these patients (Koinis et al., 2015). The shortage in the healthcare workforce specializing in mental health is partly attributed to negative attitudes toward MHP (Koinis et al., 2015). Accordingly, fostering a positive attitude toward MHP requires changes in the attitude of future healthcare professionals and the implementation of educational programs focusing on deep understanding and awareness about MHP (Bennett & Stennett, 2015). Improved attitudes toward MHP can be achieved if baseline data pertaining to students’ attitudes are available (Bennett & Stennett, 2015; Murthy, 2017). The results of the present study can provide understanding and help establish a certain approach to facilitating acceptable behavior toward mental health, especially among health-related students and how they create an impact on society and the population they serve . Therefore, this study was implemented to assess the attitudes of students with health-related courses toward MPS in Saudi Arabia.