Perception of Students Training for Healthcare Professions and for the Profession of General Care Nurse/General Care Medical Technician about Patients Suffering from Schizophrenia

Stigma is a negative marking of a person for having a diagnosis of mental illness. It is a reflection of society's lack of tolerance, humanity and maturity. Despite the promotion of mental health and the importance of prevention, part of the general population is not educated about mental illnesses, nor are they informed enough to recognize difficulties within their own family or in their immediate environment. It is common knowledge that psychiatric patients are negatively perceived by the general population, and mental illnesses often arouse fear in people. This fear stems from the opinion that the behavior of psychiatric patients is unpredictable, unstable and problematic. Part of the general population believes that schizophrenia is a deliberately induced disease and that patients are dangerous. Despite great efforts to reduce stigmatization, it is still present in all layers of society. Numerous studies support this. This research aimed to examine the attitudes and opinions about patients suffering from schizophrenia among students who are studying for the profession of physiotherapist and dental assistant and students who are studying for the profession of general care nurse/general care medical technician at the Osijek Medical School. A total of 90 respondents participated in the survey, which was conducted in March and April 2022. The research was conducted through a survey questionnaire that consisted of 2 parts: an anonymous demographic questionnaire and an anti-stigma questionnaire that contained 25 statements to which respondents responded with: “Yes”, “No” or “I don't know”. The contribution of this research is that we compare the results obtained between students who are educated in the profession of physiotherapist technician and dental assistant and students who are educated in the profession of general care nurse/general care medical technician, and based on the results, we show how education about psychiatric diseases is extremely important and that it contributes to the reduction of stigma.