Attitudes toward Psychiatry: A Survey of Medical Students at the University of Nairobi, Kenya
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Date
2008Author
Ndetei David M.
Khasakhala, Lincoln
Ongecha-Owuor, Francisca
Kuria, Mary
Mutiso, Victoria
Syanda, Judy
Kokonya, Donald
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objectives: The authors aim to determine the attitudes of University
of Nairobi, Kenya, medical students toward psychiatry.
Methods: The study design was cross-sectional. Self-administered
sociodemographic and the Attitudes Toward Psychiatry-30
items (ATP-30) questionnaires were distributed sequentially to
every third medical student in his or her lecture theater before or
immediately after the lectures. Analysis was done using SPSS
version 11.5 and the results are presented in tables.
Results: Nearly 75% of the students had overall favorable attitudes
toward psychiatry but only 14.3% considered psychiatry
as a potential career choice. Sixty-six percent reported that they
would not choose psychiatry as a career while the remaining
19.7% were not decided.
Conclusions: There is dissonance between positive attitudes toward
psychiatry and the choice of psychiatry as a potential career.
Therefore, there is a need to bridge the gap by addressing the
various factors that potentially account for this dissonance.
Citation
AcademicPsychiatry, 32:2, March-April 2008Publisher
Depatment of Psychiatry at the University of Nairobi
Description
Attitudes toward Psychiatry:
A Survey of Medical Students at the University of Nairobi,
Kenya