[01] Shaman Kalearasu, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Syed Mohammad Nihal Bin Syed Waseem Zaidi, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Sadiyah Umaima Hamid Asmil, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Tharusi Amaya Fonseka, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), Melaka, Malaysia. [05] Munaweera Hettiarachchige Roweena Chantelle Fernandopulle, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), Melaka, Malaysia.

Stigma refers to the prejudice resulting from misconceptions over psychiatric illness, which often robs psychiatric patients of opportunities that could provide for a better quality of life. Nine out ten sufferers of psychiatric illness claim that the fear, shame and stigma attached to mental illness and the associated discrimination they face make recovery more challenging and often prevent them from seeking the care that would help them most. Therefore, we conducted this cross-sectional study to assess the stigma towards psychiatric disorders and mental illness amongst medical students. This study conducted in Melaka Manipal Medical College from November to December 2019. The sample included a total of 160 medical students from the MBBS students from semester 6 to 7 in Muar Campus. Mental illness clinician attitudes scale (MICA-2) was used to assess the stigma toward psychiatric disorders and mental illness. Unpaired t test and ANOVA was calculated. Most of the students had low stigma toward psychiatric disorders and mental illness as the mean score of MICA-2 was 43.41. Among different ethnicities, Malay students have shown the highest stigma followed by Chinese, Others and Indian medical students. The students who had a diagnosis of psychiatric illness sometime in their life showed lesser stigma (mean 37.0) than those who had never had a diagnosis of psychiatric illness before (mean 43.84). Furthermore, medical students with a family member diagnosed with psychiatric illness also showed lesser stigma (mean 38.86) than those who do not have a family member diagnosed with psychiatric illness (mean 44.14). Stigma towards psychiatric disorders is low among undergraduate medical students in our college. Male gender, Malay and Chinese ethnicities, Muslim and Christian religions and Malaysian students revealed a relatively higher stigma. Moreover, students with diagnosed psychiatric disorders, family history of psychiatric illnesses, and students who were aware of friends with a diagnosed psychiatric illness revealed a lower stigma towards psychiatric disorders and mental illness.

Stigma, Psychiatric Disorders, Medical Students, Cross-sectional

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