Effectiveness of a single day induction programme in changing medical students' attitudes towards the speciality of forensic psychiatry.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a day visit in changing attitudes towards a high-security forensic psychiatric hospital, with regard to the current recruitment difficulties in psychiatry.


METHODS
Broadmoor Hospital, a UK high-security psychiatric hospital, runs day visits for medical students, led by doctors. At the beginning and the end of the day students wrote their responses to the question, 'What do you think of Broadmoor?' Attitudes and themes were identified, and their prevalence was analysed.


RESULTS
The responses of 296 students were initially analysed; however, 19 responses had to be excluded because they were illegible or incomplete. Before the visit, 15 responses were rated as positive, 169 neutral and 93 negative. After the visit, 205 responses were positive, 69 neutral and three negative. The themes that changed markedly following the visit were those indicating a change to favourable attitude.


CONCLUSIONS
A single day visit was shown to be effective in altering the attitudes of medical students towards forensic psychiatry within a high-security psychiatric hospital.
Medical Student, Medical Sciences Division, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Ann
A
Archer
Medical Student, Medical Sciences Division, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Joshana
J
Guliani
Medical Student, Medical Sciences Division, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Francesca
F
Johns
Medical Student, Medical Sciences Division, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Emily
E
McCartney
Core Psychiatric Trainee Doctor, Broadmoor Hospital, West London Mental Health Trust, Crowthorne, Berkshire, UK.
E Naomi
EN
Smith
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Broadmoor Hospital, West London Mental Health Trust, Crowthorne, Berkshire, UK.
Callum C
CC
Ross
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Broadmoor Hospital, West London Mental Health Trust, Crowthorne, Berkshire, UK.
Samrat
S
Sengupta
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Broadmoor Hospital, West London Mental Health Trust, Crowthorne, Berkshire, UK, and; College Tutor, Oxford School of Psychiatry, Oxford, UK, and; Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Top End Mental Health Service, Parap, NT, Australia.
Mrigendra
M
Das
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom
attitude; forensic psychiatry; medical students; psychiatry; recruitment
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