Since its inception, psychiatry has had a clear stigmatization within society, prejudices, stereotypes and prevention towards mental illnesses, psychiatrists and psychiatry have been maintained, with important implications at the public health level. This study was conducted to analyze the social representations of medical students within a context of stigma on the part of health personnel. Background: Some studies have shown the presence of stigma in health personnel towards mental illness and psychiatry. Prevention and aversive attitudes have been found in this population, which includes medical students, who show differential treatment with patients with mental illness. Methodology: Qualitative methodology of phenomenological design, focus on narrative analysis, through semi-structured interviews. Results: The first semester students showed a more open attitude towards the topics investigated, with less prejudice and an evident belief in the importance of mental health, in the sixth semester students more stigma was evident in their representations and in the tenth semester, a clear disappointment with the management and treatments of the specialty and the persistence of certain stigmatizing elements. Conclusions: The knowledge that is acquired during the career and that builds social representations, can improve the understanding of mental illness but does not necessarily reduce the stigma that has been established at the social, interpersonal and intrapersonal level.
publication date
February 23, 2021 10:05 PM
Research
keywords
Prejudices and stereotypes in relation to the management of mental illnesses
