The effect of an abnormal psychology course on students' attitudes toward mental illness.

1962 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 214-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Costin ◽  
William D. Kerr
2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Kendra ◽  
Lauren B. Cattaneo ◽  
Jonathan J. Mohr

Abnormal psychology instructors often use traditional and personal methods to educate students about and improve student attitudes toward mental illness and professional help-seeking. Data from abnormal psychology students ( N = 190) were used to determine if and how students’ attitudes toward mental illness and professional help-seeking attitudes change over time. The study also examined whether stigma-related variables were influenced by student presentations about personal experiences with mental illness. With few exceptions, stigma-related variables did not change over time or in relation to student presentations. Implications for research and teaching to improve attitudes toward mental illness and professional help-seeking are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 009862832110153
Author(s):  
Rhea L. Owens ◽  
Sean Heaslip ◽  
Meara Thombre

Background: While abnormal psychology courses have traditionally focused on psychopathology, there are several benefits to adopting a strengths-based approach. Objective: This study examined the teaching of a strengths-based assessment approach (the DICE-PM Model), compared to teaching as usual, in an undergraduate abnormal psychology course. Method: Two sections of an abnormal psychology course were taught a strengths-based assessment approach while two sections were taught as usual. All participants completed measures of knowledge of psychological disorders and mental illness stigma at the beginning and end of the semester. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge of disorders and a significant decrease in mental illness stigma with the exception of one category assessed (recovery), generally with small effect sizes. Those in the strengths group, compared to the control, showed a significantly greater decrease in mental illness stigma involving anxiety related to others with mental illness, though also with a small effect. Conclusion: Findings suggest strengths-based assessment education does not compromise the instruction of psychological disorders and is equivalent to a traditional abnormal psychology course in reducing mental illness stigma. Teaching Implications: Such an approach may be beneficial early in students’ education to reduce mental illness stigma and promote comprehensive assessment practices.


1981 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margo A. Napoletano

Those 16 students who had completed the two psychology courses (a) tended to complete the practicum and (b) reported being more influenced by experiential rather than cognitive components of the practicum. In view of the previously reported findings of favorable attitude change following a psychiatric practicum for the students who had completed the two psychology courses, over-all results presented in both reports (a) confirm previous studies which suggest the effectiveness of a psychiatric practicum in changing nursing students' attitudes toward mental illness and (b) empirically support Rabkin's 1977 statement that academic instruction seems maximally effective in combination with factors such as personal experience with mental patients, etc. (as reported by the student nurses) in changing attitudes toward mental illness.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-56
Author(s):  
A Bakare ◽  
L Yakubu ◽  
M Yunusa ◽  
A Bioku ◽  
M Raji ◽  
...  

Background: Attitude towards mental illness influence the nursing students’ choice to take up training and placement in psychiatry as a specialty. The aim of the study was to examine nursing students' attitudes towards mental illness in terms of aetiology, social relations with patients and self-disclosure regarding mental illness. Methods: This was a descriptive quasi-experimental study conducted among all the sixty nursing students attending a 6-week psychiatry posting at Federal Neuropsychiatry Hospital Kware, Sokoto State and Psychiatry unit of General Hospital Katsina, Northwest Nigeria in July 2018. Attitudes toward Mental Illness (ATMI), a self-administered questionnaire was given to the participants before and after six-week posting in psychiatry. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.  Results: After 6 weeks posting in psychiatry there was improvement in the participants’ positive attitude towards social relation in person with mental illness, willingness to self-disclosure regarding mental illness and etiology of mental illness compare to before the commencement of psychiatry posting. Majority (81%) reported that movies have negative influence on their attitude toward mental illness. Conclusion: The 6-week psychiatry posting has positive effects on nursing students' attitudes towards mental illness. Movies contribute negatively towards majority of the participants’ attitude to mental illness. Use of psychodrama is being suggested to educate people on the etiology and treatment of mental illness. This study provides evidence-based recommendation for mandatory psychiatry posting among other health workers under training and use of psychodrama to educate the public on mental illness.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 194-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marshall E. Cates ◽  
Thomas W. Woolley

Abstract Introduction: Previous studies have found ineffectiveness of psychiatric clinical rotations to change pharmacy students' attitudes toward mental illness, but those studies had various limitations that cast doubt on this conclusion. Methods: Pharmacy students who participated in a psychiatric clinical rotation over a 2-year time frame were invited to complete a survey at the beginning and end of their rotation. The survey included scales that measured attitudes toward dangerousness, social distance, stigmatization, suicide prevention, and provision of pharmaceutical care. Results: Forty-one (100%) students participated in the study. Statistically significant positive changes in total scale scores from pre-rotation to post-rotation were seen in the areas of stigmatization toward patients with schizophrenia (P = .02), attitudes toward suicide prevention (P = .05), and provision of pharmaceutical care services to patients with schizophrenia (P < .00001) and depression (P = .0006). There were no statistically significant changes on the total scores of the other scales, but there was a moderate improvement in stigmatization toward patients with depression. Discussion: Pharmacy students' participation in a psychiatric clinical rotation failed to have a major impact on their social distance from mentally ill patients. Findings were mixed in regards to stigmatization of mentally ill patients. However, pharmacy students' attitudes toward suicide prevention and providing pharmaceutical care services to mentally ill patients were significantly improved by participation in a psychiatric clinical rotation. Preceptors in the clinical setting should consider including educational techniques that address pharmacy students' attitudes toward mental illness, as improvement in such attitudes may further enhance their willingness to provide pharmaceutical care services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mohamamd Shammari ◽  
Dania S. Waggas ◽  
Abd Al-Hadi Hasan

This study aimed to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward mental illness in Saudi Arabia. The research design was cross sectional survey. A convenience sample of 315 nursing students. The attitudes towards patients with mental illness questionnaire (AMI) was employed. The results of analysis found that nursing students had favorable attitudes (social relationships) toward people affected by mental illness. Their AMI1 score was slightly higher than the neutral score 20.82. In addition, the findings suggested that students showed slightly affirmative attitudes of tendency to inform others in case oneself or a close relative being mentally ill. 10.50 was the score of AMI2. Nursing students had favorable attitudes towards mental illness despite having negative stereotyped attitudes toward mental illness.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Christina Michaelson

In my Abnormal Psychology course students reported that their service-learning work at mental health related organizations in the community helped them connect course content to life experiences, increase their understanding of the impact of mental illness on people’s lives, and examine their attitudes about people with psychological disorders. They also developed increased empathy, greater understandings of cultural and racial differences, and more awareness of their personal strengths. They felt useful to others, that their service made a difference, and that they were more likely to volunteer in the future. These results are consistent with previous research that service-learners increase their understanding of course content and experience personal growth. The present study provides a more focused perspective on how Abnormal Psychology students are affected specifically by their experiential understanding of psychological disorders and reflection on their attitudes about mental illness.


2020 ◽  
pp. 009862832097988
Author(s):  
Anne Ferrari

Research shows that stigma toward mental illness prevents a large percentage of college students from seeking help. Finding pedagogies that can be utilized in the classroom to reduce stigma is important. The present study replicated previous research that utilized celebrity case material in the teaching of abnormal psychology for the purpose of reducing public stigma toward mental illness and help seeking. The present study also examined whether stigma reductions would persist beyond the initial post-testing. Data were collected using a pre-post design from 48 (experimental group) and 23 (control group) college undergraduates enrolled in an abnormal psychology course. Compared to the control group, the use of celebrities as narratives to teach about mental illness resulted in reduced public stigma toward mental illness and reduced stigma toward seeking help which persisted over a 6-month time period.


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