Medical and social work student perceptions of deviant conditions: descriptive label, cause and help source

The focus of this paper is on medical and social work student perceptions of the descriptive label, cause and treatment source for seven conditions; mental illness, mental subnormality, alcoholism, drug addiction, homosexuality, unmarried pregnancy and venereal disease. Responses to questionnaire items were examined to ascertain whether there were differentials by career choice (medicine and social work) and by class year (first and final year). The students indicated that the seven deviancies should be described as sick or handicapping conditions, that causes are social and psychological, and that treatment should be given by private and social sources. When reference to medical aspects of the conditions is made, the students select psychiatric rather than general medical options. Both medical and social work students tended to choose neutral, rather than negative and stigmatizing terms of reference for the conditions. While students in the different school years made similar response overall, multiple responses were much more frequent among those preparing for social work rather than medical careers and among students in their final year of schooling.