TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Empathy, experience and cultural beliefs determine the attitudes towards depression among Pakistani medical students
JO  - Community mental health journal
A1  - Waqas, Ahmed
A1  - Naveed, Sadiq
A1  - Makhmoor, Ayesha
A1  - Malik, Aamenah
A1  - Hassan, Hamid
A1  - Aedma, Kapil Kiran
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - The educated echelons of the Pakistani society as well as the medical fraternity have consistently reported poor knowledge of mental illnesses in past surveys. This poor knowledge further translates into poorer attitudes toward psychiatric patients in Pakistani hospitals. However, a paucity of data on predictors of attitude toward depression among Pakistani medical students, warrants further in depth investigations. This cross-sectional study was conducted in two medical colleges in the province of Punjab, Pakistan from January to July 2017. The data were collected conveniently, using a self-administered questionnaire comprising of five parts: (a) demographics, (b) a dichotomous (yes/no) scale exploring biological, psychosocial and religio-magical beliefs about causation of depression, (c) a dichotomous scale (yes/no) assessing knowledge regarding symptomatology of depression, (d) the revised depression attitude questionnaire, (e) Toronto empathy questionnaire. There were a total of 674 respondents. Students with an A-levels/high school diploma, urban background, and aspiration for a career in psychiatry, high empathy levels and endorsement of typical and atypical symptoms of psychiatry had more positive attitudes towards depression. Negative attitudes toward depression were associated with belief in religio-magical causes and false symptoms of depression. Attitude toward depression among Pakistani medical students are shaped by several modifiable and non-modifiable factors. Modifiable factors including exposure toward mentally ill patients and knowledge of depression can be mitigated by in-depth clerkship training in psychiatry.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0010-3853
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00459-9
ID  - ref1
ER  -