Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2021 Jun;13(6):711-716. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2021.01.029. Epub 2021 Feb 11.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mental health stigma among healthcare providers remains a significant barrier to patients receiving optimal care for psychiatric conditions. This study’s purpose is to evaluate the impact of a psychiatry elective on pharmacy students’ attitudes toward patients with mental health disorders.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: This study cohort included pharmacy students enrolled in a Special Topics in Psychiatry elective. Attitudes toward mental health disorders were measured at baseline (first day of class) and post-exposure (last day of class) using the 21-item Beliefs toward Mental Illness (BMI) Scale. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare each component of the BMI scale as well as each subscale (dangerousness, poor social and interpersonal skills, and incurability) at baseline and post-exposure.
FINDINGS: Fifty-eight pharmacy students (68% response rate) participated in this study. Most respondents were in their first year of the pharmacy program (44%), female (72%), and Asian (59%). There was a statistically significant decline in each BMI subscale at the end of the course: dangerousness, poor interpersonal and social skills, and incurability. There was no significant difference in mean change for the BMI sub-scores by gender, race, or personal experience with mental health disorders.
SUMMARY: Incorporating a psychiatry elective into the pharmacy school curriculum can improve attitudes toward patients with mental health disorders. Future areas of research are warranted on the influence of specific components of a psychiatry elective that impact BMI scores and whether this translates to improved quality of care during clinical practice.
PMID:33867069 | DOI:10.1016/j.cptl.2021.01.029
