Attitudes of psychiatrists toward people with mental illness in Hungary
Őri Dorottya
Mental Health Sciences
Dr. Bagdy György
SE Semmelweis Szalon
2024-10-28 16:00:00
Mental Health Sciences
Dr. Kovács József
Dr. Győrffy Zsuzsa
Dr. Csabai Márta
Dr. Farkas Kinga
Dr. Réthelyi János
Dr. Kelemen Andrea Judit
Dr. Halász József
Stigma toward people with mental health problems has a detrimental effect on the individual. Stigma comes not only from the general public but also from healthcare professionals, resulting in a lower quality of life, reduced access to appropriate care and shorter life expectancy. Studies on stigma among mental health providers are scarce, and data on the attitude of psychiatrists are even more limited both in Hungary and worldwide.
My research project, therefore, had two interrelated aims:
1. To investigate the factor structure of the Hungarian version of the OMS-HC along with validity and reliability measures.
2. To measure the stigmatizing attitudes of psychiatrists in Hungary toward people with mental illness, the relationship between their attitudes and personal and professional factors.
We designed a cross-sectional survey using the OMS-HC as a primary outcome measure to quantify stigma among specialists in general adult and child psychiatry, and trainees in Hungary.
The result from all factor analyses, taken together, was that the bifactor solution with a general factor and three specific factors showed the best model fit. As item 11 (item 14 on the original scale) showed a poor loading on each factor, we deleted it; thus, the Hungarian version of the scale has 14 items.
The study found that lived experience of any mental health conditions were quite common among Hungarian psychiatrists, with 59% of the sample having had a friend or family member with a mental illness, 46% of them having sought help, and 19% having received medical treatment for a mental illness in their lives. Having lived experience with mental illness, participating in active psychotherapy practice, having less stigmatizing colleagues, and being open to case discussion groups had a statistically significant association with less stigmatizing attitudes toward people with mental illness.
The results underline the importance of targeting stigma in workplace culture and recognize the potential impact of psychotherapy on the attitudes of psychiatrists. Incorporating such options into psychiatric training programs and exploring anti-stigma initiatives to reduce stigma in the workplace would be beneficial for everyday practice.
