Attitudes of pharmacy students toward mental illness

Abstract

Undergraduate pharmacy students' attitudes toward mental illness were measured by a questionnaire that also included questions about students' demographic variables and previous exposure to mental illness. Baccalaureate pharmacy students entering their first week of clinical rotations were asked to voluntarily complete a questionnaire that included Whatley's social distance scale and Morrison's Client Attitude Questionnaire version B (CAQ-B). Information was also sought about demographics, socio-economic factors, and prior exposure to mental illness. Possible total scores for Whatley's social distance scale range from 8 to 24, with lower scores implying more favorable attitudes toward mentally ill patients. Possible total scores for the CAQ-B range from 20 to 60, with scores lower than 40 indicative of a medical-model orientation and scores higher than 46 indicative of a psychosocial-model orientation. A total of 250 students completed the questionnaire. The first 85 students received Morrison's CAQ-B; the other 165 students completed both scales. The mean +/- S.D. score of 13.6 +/- 3.5 on the social distance scale indicates that the pharmacy students generally had favorable attitudes towards patients with mental illness. The mean +/- S.D. score of 32.8 +/- 3.6 on the CAQ-B indicates that the pharmacy students accepted a medical-model orientation. Students reporting a family history of psychiatric diagnoses and hospitalizations, a personal psychiatric diagnosis, or a history of visiting a psychiatric hospital had more favorable attitudes toward mentally ill patients. Female students and students who had a family history of psychiatric hospitalizations and diagnoses were significantly more oriented toward the medical model than students without this history.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)