The attitude and future career interest in psychiatry of medical students from the University of Maiduguri, North-eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Background

There is a paucity of psychiatrists in Nigeria, with disproportionately fewer numbers practising in the northern parts of the country. The attitude of medical students in northern Nigeria towards the specialty should serve as a reliable indicator of the likelihood of redressing this shortfall in personnel, in the near future.

Objectives

To evaluate the attitude of 5^th year medical students toward psychiatry and the correlation between current attitude to psychiatry and future intentions to pursue a career in the specialty.

Method

A cross-sectional survey of 100 fifth year medical students of the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, was conducted using the 30-item Attitudes to Psychiatry (ATP-30) Scale and a brief socio-demographic questionnaire.

Results

The students had a mean ATP- 30 score of 89.0 (s.d = 6.6, range = 76- 111). There was no gender difference in scores (♂ vs. ♀= 88.6 vs. 90.0, X² = 25.9, p = 0.305) but significant association was found between the age group 26 – 30 years and positive attitude towards psychiatry (X² = 17.4, p = 0.015). The statement, ‘I will like to be a psychiatrist’ and ‘intention to specialise in psychiatry’ were found to be significantly correlated (Spearman’s rho = 0.56, X² = 0.54, and p < 0.001).

Conclusion

There is the need for proactive engagements of medical students and ensuring adequate and effective exposure to psychiatry during undergraduate training. This should help in reversing the negative attitude and stigma often associated with psychiatry. In the long term, a positive attitude towards the specialty should result in increased numbers seeking to make a career in the field of psychiatry.