Differences in opinions and positions about psychiatric practice topics between undergraduate medical and psychology students

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the prevalence of the model of interdisciplinary attention in mental health it is necessary to establish common views about therapeutic practices of the different disciplines that intervene in mental attention. Our objective was to determine if there are differences in opinions and positions with respect to psychiatric practice topics between undergraduate students of the last years of medicine and psychology. Methods: An ad hoc survey with different statements about psychiatric hospitalization, electroconvulsive therapy and psychotropics was done. One hundred eighteen medical  students and 122 psychology students answered the online survey on February 2022. Results: One third of the opinions were statistically different between the students. Medical students had positions a little more positive towards electroconvulsive therapy and psychiatric hospitalization than psychology students. The prejudice towards psychiatric practices is important in both groups.  Discussion and Conclusions: There are no important differences on the opinions of medical and psychology students. The prejudice and stigma towards mental health should be addressed since the first years of both carreers.