[Greek students' attitudes towards mental disorders]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Social Sciences
• Public Health

Background:

• Public attitudes towards mental illness significantly impact psychiatric service design and community integration.
• Understanding student perceptions is crucial for developing targeted mental health awareness programs.
• Previous research indicates variability in attitudes based on demographic and social factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate student attitudes towards mental illness.
• To examine how age, gender, field of study, and personal contact influence these attitudes.
• To identify demographic and academic factors associated with differing perceptions of mental illness.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 536 students from universities in Athens and Thessaloniki.
• Utilized the short version of the Community Attitudes Toward the Mentality III (CAMI) scale.
• Collected demographic and social data through a specialized questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Positive attitudes towards mental illness were associated with female gender, personal contact with mentally ill individuals, and studying social sciences.
• Negative attitudes correlated with fewer years of study, while older students scored lower on the Domination Scale.
• Field of study and year of study significantly influenced attitudes, whereas place of birth and duration of stay did not.

Conclusions:

• Student attitudes toward mental illness are complex and influenced by a combination of demographic, academic, and experiential factors.
• Interventions promoting positive attitudes, particularly among male students and those in exact sciences, are warranted.
• Further research is needed to explore the nuances of age and study duration's impact on mental illness perceptions.