title: Mental health stigma and attitudes to psychiatry among Bangladeshi medical students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The shortage of specialized human resources in mental health in Bangladesh requires active recruitment of psychiatric residents. In addition, the involvement of positively inclined health personnel, for example, medical doctors, emerges as an immediate priority.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore stigma among medical students toward persons with mental disorders (PMDs) and their attitudes toward psychiatry.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted at Faridpur Medical College in Bangladesh before (First year) and following psychiatric rotation (Fifth year). Students (N = 200) filled anonymous questionnaires measuring stigma toward PMDs and attitudes to psychiatry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Upper medical school year (p = .028), older age (p = .005), mother's lower academic level (p = .043), upper and lower socioeconomic level affiliation (p = .008) and self-consultation for mental or neurological complaints (p = .032) were associated with increased stigma toward PMDs. More favorable attitudes toward psychiatry were found in upper medical school year (p = .073) and were significantly associated with female gender (p = .018) and middle socioeconomic level affiliation (p = .013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relative improvement in attitudes toward psychiatry in the upper medical school year is overshadowed by the increased stigma toward PMDs. Specific anti-stigma program in the curriculum and strategies to improve the attitudes are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faridpur Medical College, Faridpur, Bangladesh sadi20022003@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Noor Ahmed
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Giasuddin
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Levav
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral Sciences, Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Gilad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001459:Bangladesh; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D057545:Social Stigma; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bangladesh; Stigma; attitudes to psychiatry; medical students; mental health