How should Child Psychiatrists Get Dressed? Children's Perspective

Abstract

Abstract Objectives. The aim of the present study was to investigate the patients’ preference regarding psychiatrists’ attire and whether attire styles were important for patients in child and adolescent mental health services. It was additionally sought to examine the influence of doctors’ attire on patients’ confidence in their psychiatrists. Methods. Sixty-four participants between the ages of six and eighteen were recruited from a child and adolescent mental health service within Turkey. Participants were asked to report their preferences for five types of doctor attires (white coat, formal, semi-formal, casual wear and relaxed attire) in both male and female psychiatrists. Participants were additionally asked whether they considered psychiatrist dress important and whether their psychiatrists’ attire influenced their confidence. Results. A large proportion of our sample (N=49) reported doctors’ attire as important. For both male and female psychiatrists, white coat was determined to be the most preferred style of attire, whereas relaxed attire was the least preferred attire in children’s psychiatrists. Around 67% of our respondents reported that doctors’ attire has an influence on the confidence and trustwortiness they will hold for their psychiatrists. Conclusions. The present study confirms that psychiatrists’ attire is considered as important by the children and adolescent patients, and white coat is the most preffered type of attire by children and adolescents. Psychiatrists’ attires can additionally be suggested as influencial on children and young people’s confidence in their doctors.