Change in attitude towards suicide with current undergraduate training in psychiatry: a cross-sectional study

V G Vinuprasad; N R Sharadha; Mehmet  Eskin

doi:10.30834/KJP.33.2.2020.221

Authors

V G Vinuprasad Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Palakkad.
N R Sharadha Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Vinayaka mission Medical College, Karaikkal, Pondicherry.
Mehmet Eskin Professor of Clinical Psychology, Koç University College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Department of Psychology, Rumelifeneri, Yolu, Sarıyer, 34450 Istanbul, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30834/KJP.33.2.2020.221

Keywords:

undergraduate, medical student, curriculum, attitude, suicide

Abstract

Background: Teachers in the field of psychiatry has the responsibility to impart changes in students' attitude towards important areas of the subject. Suicide is the psychiatric emergency that a primary care practitioner is most likely to encounter in day to day practice. In this cross-sectional study, we looked into the change in the attitude of an undergraduate student towards suicide with his/her training in psychiatry with the present undergraduate curriculum. Materials and Methods: We recruited undergraduate medical students doing their MBBS course from a medical college of South India. Their responses to Eskin's Attitudes towards Suicide Scale (E-ATSS) and Eskin's Social Reactions to Suicidal Persons Scale (E-SRSPS) were collected. The students were divided into groups of students completed undergraduate training in Psychiatry and those who are yet to get exposed to it. Responses in E-ATSS and E-SRSPS from both groups were compared. Results: The overall attitude of students towards suicide and suicidal person were favourable compared to many previous studies. There was a significant difference in the factor ' suicide as a sign of mental illness' when responses from both groups were compared. 2.72±1.11 in the exposed group compared to 3.16±1.11 of unexposed group. p-value<0.001). Also, there was a significant difference in responses to the disapproval of suicidal disclosure. 2.83±0.65 in the exposed group and 2.67±0.67 in the unexposed group. (p-value - 0.01). Conclusion: The current undergraduate medical curriculum by Medical Council of India is successful in bringing attitude change in some important domains of the subject of suicide. Domains remain under-covered by the curriculum should be looked into in the future curriculum revisions.

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