title: Prospective cross-sectional study using questionnaire to assess the effect of a different nomenclature for psychiatric illnesses on the perception of these diseases by university students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE. To assess the effect of a difference in nomenclature for psychiatric illness on perceptions of university students. DESIGN. Cross-sectional study. SETTING. Three local universities in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS. A total of 201 university students (undergraduates or postgraduates) were interviewed with a questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Score difference between the new and old nomenclature of each disease for each question of the questionnaire, using a 5-point Likert scale and an integrated score difference for each disease. RESULTS. Of the seven diseases investigated, six yielded a significant yet mild increase in positive perceptions with the new nomenclature. These diseases included schizophrenia (integrated score difference: +0.158, P<0.001), neurasthenia (integrated score difference: +0.117, P<0.001), paranoia (integrated score difference: +0.209, P<0.001), personality disorder (integrated score difference: +0.282, P<0.001), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (integrated score difference: +0.086, P=0.005), and bipolar disorder (integrated score difference: +0.154, P<0.001). Epilepsy showed a negative perception with its new nomenclature (integrated score difference: -0.119, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS. The new nomenclature system for psychiatric diseases achieves more positive perceptions among the university students than the old nomenclature. Epilepsy was the exception for which the old nomenclature conferred a more positive perception. Further studies on this topic involving a more general population should be advocated to confirm the improvements in perception with the new naming system for psychiatric diseases.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kam
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Boris C K
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cally H S
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult