Background: Negative attitudes toward psychiatric disorders are prevalent among health professionals, and little is known about the effects of medical education on the attitudes of students in Turkey. The study aims to evaluate the effects of medical education on the students' social distance from a person with depression.
Methods: Medical students were compared to two other student groups. The data were collected in 2004 by using a questionnaire that included socio-demographic variables, a depression vignette and Social Distance Scale.
Results: A total of 649 students responded to the questionnaire. Faculty students had a greater desire for social distance from a person with depression than did students in a public education centre. The first year faculty students also had higher social distance scores than students in a public education centre. The differences in social distance by faculties and the years were not statistically significant. Most of the first year medical students defined the vignette as “a person with some problems,” while most of the final year medical students defined the vignette as “a person with illness.” Optimism about the person's prognosis did not differ by the medical students' years. The percentage of medical students who stated that hospitalization necessary was higher in the sixth year than in the first year. Nearly half of the students felt disturbed by the prospect of contact with the person.
Conclusion: Our data supported the hypothesis that current medical education did not significantly influence students’ social distance from a person with depression.