Perception of Mental Illness by Medical Students

Abstract

Studied the perception and attitudes of 60 undergraduate medical students toward mental illness using 10 vignettes representing different disorders. Acute psychosis and schizophrenia were regarded as very serious problems with the most serious consequences. Mental retardation and epilepsy were regarded as serious, but as having more favorable social consequences. Alcohol dependence was not perceived as a serious condition, although it was associated with unfavorable social consequences and had a poor prognosis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)