Hekimlerin Bipolar Afektif Bozukluğa Karşı Damgalayıcı Tutumların Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Aim: There are not many studies related to the attitude of healthcare workers towards bipolar patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of psychiatrists and other physicians towards patients with bipolar disorder, and our secondary aim was to evaluate the possible relationship between physicians' attitudes towards bipolar disorder patients and their sociodemographic characteristics. Material and Methods: A total of 514 volunteers; psychiatrists (n=67), family physicians (n=156) and other branches (n=291) were included in the study in March 2019 via an online questionnaire. A structured questionnaire was administered to all participants. The questions were recorded by asking questions about bipolar disorder. Results: A total of 514 volunteers, including psychiatrists (n=67), family physicians (n=156), and other branches (n=291), were included in our study. As a result of our study, it was observed that 21% of family physicians and 32% of physicians from other branches did not feel comfortable while examining patients with bipolar disorder and it was observed that it was significantly higher than psychiatrists (6%). Compared to psychiatrists (4%), it was reported that family physicians (30%) and other specialists (30%) would feel uncomfortable working with someone with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Conclusion: Psychiatrists displayed more positive attitudes than family physicians and other branches. Education, which is emphasized to prevent stigmatizing attitudes, is perhaps the most important reason for this. Decreasing negative attitudes towards bipolar patients among healthcare professionals may decrease patients' self-concealment and increase hospital admission and treatment compliance in cases of physical and mental illness. With the decrease in the stigmatizing attitudes of physicians against this disease, the social and professional functionality of the patients will increase and will provide important gains in terms of community mental health.