Attitude of interns toward mental illness and psychiatry: A study from tertiary care hospital

ABSTRACT Background: The rising prevalence of psychiatric disorders in India, as high as 14.9 per 1000, is juxtaposed with a significant shortage of psychiatrists, with only 0.75 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population against the recommended 3 per 1 lakh, this mental health gap is further exacerbated by negative attitudes and stigma toward psychiatry among medical professionals. Limited exposure to psychiatry in undergraduate medical education, coupled with misconceptions, contributes to this gap. This study assesses the attitudes of medical interns toward psychiatry and mental illness before and after their postings in a tertiary care hospital. Aim: To assess the attitudes of medical interns toward psychiatry and determine if exposure to psychiatry postings improves these attitudes. Study Setting and Design: This cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Hyderabad for a period of 4 months. Materials and Methods: Institutional Ethics Committee approval was obtained before conducting this study. The study included 100 medical interns attending a 2-week psychiatry posting as the part of their compulsory rotatory internship. Participants completed an intake pro forma, attitude toward psychiatry (ATP) 30 scale, and Modified Kuppuswamy Scale on the 1 st day of posting. ATP 30 scale was administered on the first and last days of posting. Results: The mean ATP score increased from 109.47 ± 10.5145 before the posting to 115.12 ± 12.5081 after the posting, indicating a significant improvement in attitudes ( P < 0.05). Improvements were observed across all the domains. Interns with personal or familial experiences of psychiatric illness had higher ATP scores, although not statistically significant. Conclusions: A structured 2-week psychiatry posting significantly improves medical interns’ attitudes toward psychiatry. The study underscores the importance of psychiatric education in reducing stigma and fostering a positive outlook toward psychiatry among future medical professionals.