Table 2 Balon attitudes towards psychiatry – baseline and follow-up agreement, and significance
| Â | Baseline | Follow-up | McNemars |
|---|---|---|---|
Agree (%) | Agree (%) | ||
Disagree (%) | Disagree (%) | ||
Overall merits of psychiatry | |||
1. Psychiatric research has made good strides in advancing care of the major mental disorders | 94 | 96 | NS |
6 | 4 | ||
2. Psychiatry is a rapidly expanding frontier of medicine | 87 | 91 | NS |
13 | 9 | ||
3. Psychiatry is unscientific and imprecise | 16 | 19 | NS |
84 | 81 | ||
Efficacy | |||
4. If someone in my family was very emotionally upset and the situation did not seem to be improving, I would recommend a psychiatric consultation | 83 | 91 | NS |
17 | 9 | ||
5. Psychiatric consultation for medical or surgical patients is often helpful | 90 | 93 | NS |
10 | 7 | ||
6. Psychiatric treatment is helpful to most people who receive it | 91 | 91 | NS |
9 | 9 | ||
Role, definition and functioning of Psychiatrists | |||
7. Psychiatry is not a genuine and valid branch of medicine | 5 | 4 | NS |
95 | 96 | ||
8. Most psychiatrists are clear, logical thinkers | 93 | 94 | NS |
7 | 6 | ||
9. With few exceptions, clinical psychologists and social workers are just as qualified as psychiatrists to diagnose and treat emotionally disturbed persons | 22 | 28 | NS |
78 | 72 | ||
10. Among mental health professionals, psychiatrists have the most authority and influence | 59 | 68 | NS |
41 | 32 | ||
11. Psychiatrists are too frequently apologetic when teaching psychiatry | 13 | 7 | NS |
87 | 93 | ||
12. Psychiatry is too ‘biologically’ minded and not attentive enough to the patient’s personal life and psychological problems | 7 | 9 | NS |
93 | 91 | ||
13. Psychiatry is too analytical, theoretical, and psychodynamic, and not attentive enough to patient’s physiology | 15 | 14 | NS |
85 | 86 | ||
Possible abuse and social criticism | |||
14. Psychiatrists frequently abuse their legal power to hospitalise patients against their will | 3 | 5 | NS |
97 | 95 | ||
15. On average, psychiatrists make as much money as most other doctors | 64 | 68 | NS |
36 | 32 | ||
Career and personal reward | |||
16. Psychiatry has a low prestige among the general public | 52 | 47 | NS |
48 | 53 | ||
17. Psychiatry has a high status among other medical disciplines | 22 | 17 | NS |
78 | 83 | ||
18. Many people who could not obtain a residency position in other specialities eventually enter psychiatry | 15 | 17 | NS |
85 | 83 | ||
19. Psychiatry is a discipline filled with international medical graduates whose skills are of low quality | 5 | 9 | NS |
95 | 91 | ||
20. My family would discourage me from entering psychiatry | 32 | 37 | NS |
68 | 63 | ||
21. Friends and fellow students would discourage me from entering psychiatry | 28 | 35 | NS |
72 | 65 | ||
22. If a student expresses interest in psychiatry, he or she risks being associated with a group of other would-be psychiatrists who are often seen by others as odd, peculiar or neurotic | 30 | 30 | NS |
70 | 70 | ||
23. I feel uncomfortable with mentally ill patients | 44 | 16 | 0.001 |
56 | 84 | ||
Specific medical school factors | |||
24. Teaching of psychiatry at my medical school is interesting and of good quality | 75 | 93 | 0.001 |
25 | 7 | ||
25. During my psychiatry rotation, psychiatry residents were good role models | N/A | 89 | N/A |
N/A | 11 | ||
26. Attending psychiatrists during my psychiatry rotation were good role models | N/A | 92 | N/A |
N/A | 8 | ||
27. Most psychiatrists at my medical school are clear, logical thinkers | 93 | 98 | NS |
7 | 2 | ||
28. Most non-psychiatry staff at my medical school are respectful of psychiatry | 80 | 85 | NS |
20 | 15 | ||
29. Although I am interested in psychiatry, no effort was made to encourage my becoming a psychiatrist at my medical school | 40 | 23 | 0.001 |
60 | 77 | ||