Social distance towards schizophrenia in health professionals

IF 2.8 3区医学 Q2 PSYCHIATRY

Asia‐Pacific Psychiatry Pub Date : 2021-12-16 DOI:10.1111/appy.12506

Chen-Hua Lin MS, Tzu-Yu Lai MD, Yu-Jen Chen MD, Shun-Ku Lin MD

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引用次数: 3

Abstract

Objective

The stigma and prejudice of the public regarding psychiatric disorders are a long-standing social problem. However, health professionals are more likely to have negative attitudes and label people with mental health conditions. This study aimed to investigate how self-rated familiarity and literacy about schizophrenia are related to social distancing towards schizophrenia patients among health professionals in Taiwan.

Method

This study used a cross-sectional questionnaire survey and invited respondents to complete the survey either electronically or in a pencil/paper format. Respondents included health professionals in different disciplines and students under medical placements. The survey instrument consists of three parts: sociodemographic information, the 18-item Social Distance Scale for schizophrenia, and the 19-item Schizophrenia Experience and Knowledge Questionnaires. Data were analyzed using linear regression models to explore sociodemographic factors, self-rated familiarity, and literacy total scores about social distance, attitude, and opinions towards schizophrenia.

Result

In total, 420 health professionals completed the questionnaire, of which 24.5% were physicians, 36.0% nurses, 6.7% pharmacists, and 28.6% interns. The majority of respondents (n = 360, 85.7%) had contact experience with schizophrenia patients, and approximately 60% rated their experience as a positive impression. Although 62.9% of respondents had received psychiatric education or training, 86% believed that such education/training was insufficient. Moreover, over half of the respondents did not have confidence in their knowledge of schizophrenia. Older age, being married, and having more working experience were associated with high social distance, a negative attitude, and high prejudice. More familiarity with schizophrenia was associated with low social distance, a positive attitude, and less prejudice. A high literacy score was associated with a positive attitude and less prejudice, but no significant correlation was observed with social distance (β ± SE = −0.26 ± 0.14, p = .057). Among respondents who rated their past contact experiences as negative, neither familiarity nor literacy was associated with social distance.

Conclusion

High levels of self-rated familiarity and high literacy about schizophrenia were associated with low social distance, a positive attitude, and less prejudice towards schizophrenia among health professionals. Therefore, sufficient education and training are imperative to increase familiarity and knowledge of schizophrenia. Appropriate education could be implemented from different perspectives, including communication skills, resources of social support, and topics to reduce stigma and prejudice.

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社会距离对卫生专业人员精神分裂症的影响

目的公众对精神疾病的污名化和偏见是一个长期存在的社会问题。然而，卫生专业人员更有可能持消极态度，并给人们贴上精神健康问题的标签。摘要本研究旨在探讨台湾卫生专业人员对精神分裂症的自评熟悉度与文化素养与社会距离的关系。方法本研究采用横断面问卷调查，并邀请受访者以电子方式或纸笔形式完成调查。受访者包括不同学科的卫生专业人员和医疗实习的学生。调查工具由社会人口学信息、18项精神分裂症社会距离量表和19项精神分裂症经验与知识问卷三部分组成。采用线性回归模型对数据进行分析，探讨社会人口学因素、自评熟悉度和关于社会距离、对精神分裂症的态度和看法的识字总分。结果共420名卫生专业人员完成问卷，其中医生占24.5%，护士占36.0%，药剂师占6.7%，实习生占28.6%。大多数受访者(n = 360, 85.7%)有与精神分裂症患者接触的经历，约60%的受访者将他们的经历评为积极的印象。62.9%受访者曾接受精神科教育或训练，但86%认为教育或训练不足。此外，超过一半的受访者对自己的精神分裂症知识没有信心。年龄较大、已婚、工作经验丰富与高社会距离、消极态度和高偏见有关。对精神分裂症熟悉程度越高，社交距离越低，态度越积极，偏见越少。较高的读写能力得分与积极态度和较少的偏见相关，但与社会距离无显著相关(β±SE = - 0.26±0.14,p = 0.057)。在那些认为自己过去的接触经历是负面的受访者中，熟悉度和读写能力都与社会距离无关。结论高自评精神分裂症熟悉度和高识字率与卫生专业人员对精神分裂症的社会距离低、态度积极、偏见少有关。因此，充分的教育和培训是必不可少的，以增加对精神分裂症的熟悉和了解。适当的教育可以从不同的角度实施，包括沟通技巧、社会支持资源和减少污名化和偏见的主题。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Asia‐Pacific Psychiatry PSYCHIATRY-

CiteScore

7.80

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： Asia-Pacific Psychiatry is an international psychiatric journal focused on the Asia and Pacific Rim region, and is the official journal of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrics. Asia-Pacific Psychiatry enables psychiatric and other mental health professionals in the region to share their research, education programs and clinical experience with a larger international readership. The journal offers a venue for high quality research for and from the region in the face of minimal international publication availability for authors concerned with the region. This includes findings highlighting the diversity in psychiatric behaviour, treatment and outcome related to social, ethnic, cultural and economic differences of the region. The journal publishes peer-reviewed articles and reviews, as well as clinically and educationally focused papers on regional best practices. Images, videos, a young psychiatrist''s corner, meeting reports, a journal club and contextual commentaries differentiate this journal from existing main stream psychiatry journals that are focused on other regions, or nationally focused within countries of Asia and the Pacific Rim.