Teaching old age psychiatry to medical students in england

A questionnaire regarding the teaching of old age psychiatry was sent to psychiatrists at teaching hospitals in England. A 53% response was received. Old age psychiatry is usually taught within general psychiatry, though there is frequent collaboration with geriatric medicine. Large numbers of students provide a challenge to this small speciality. More resources including time for teaching appear to be needed. Old age psychiatrists were keen to convey their enthusiasm and highlight the positive aspects of working with the elderly.     

Psychiatric consultation to a general hospital medical evaluation service

Psychiatric consultation to a general hospital medical evaluation service was reviewed and compared with consultation patterns for general hospital inpatients and psychiatric emergency service patients. Results of a questionnaire survey indicated nearly 1 in 5 patients admitted to this acute medical service (24-hour maximum stay) required psychiatric consultation. A study of those patients seen by psychiatric consultants is reported. The prevalence of depressive illness as well as the psychiatric hospitalization referral rate was substantially greater than in general hospital inpatient or psychiatric emergency service evaluations. The implications of this relatively new area of consultation-liaison for hospital staffing and medical education are discussed.     

Stigmatising attitude of medical students towards a psychiatry label

Background  

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a psychiatric label attached to an apparently normal person on the attitude of final year medical students at a Nigerian university.     

Teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to undergraduate medical students - A survey in German-speaking countries

Objective  

To conduct a survey about teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to undergraduate medical students in German-speaking countries.     

Teaching psychiatry in medical school

Considerable dissatisfaction of students and educators exists in regard to the teaching of psychiatry in medical school. This paper recommends that the liasion model of teaching directed to house and attending staffs be applied to the teaching of medical students during their clerkships throughout the general hospital, with a concomitant de-emphasis of training solely on the psychiatric service.     

Nonpsychotic patients referred to a consultation service

In order to examine characteristics of nondangerous and nonpsychotic patients referred to a consultation service, the authors administered self-rating scales and questionnaires to fifty referred medical patients and nonreferred controls. Recalled abuse in childhood appeared a stronger predictor for referral than some other commonly researched ones such as parental death, divorce or separation in childhood or recent losses. Anxiety, hostility and depression were significantly higher in referred patients, whereas hypochondriacal attitudes did not differ between the two groups. The findings appear to have implications for treatment.     

Attitudes toward psychiatry among students entering medical school

OBJECTIVE: To survey the attitudes of Australian medical students to determine their views about the relative attractiveness of psychiatry as a career compared with other specialties, and against findings from a North American study. METHOD: We surveyed 655 first-year medical students attending six Australian Universities. RESULTS: Responses indicated that Australian medical students view psychiatry as distinctly less 'attractive' than other career options, as reported in the North American sample. In comparison with other disciplines, psychiatry was regarded as more interesting and intellectually challenging, but also as lacking a scientific foundation, not being enjoyable and failing to draw on training experiences. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that psychiatry has an image problem that is widespread, reflecting community perceptions and the specialist interests of medical students on recruitment. If psychiatry is to improve its 'attractiveness' as a career option, identified image problems need to be corrected and medical student selection processes re-considered.     

Sleep disorders on a psychiatric consultation service

Of 100 consecutive patients on a psychiatric consultation service, 80 had sleep disorders; 72 had insomnia. Disturbed sleep was not mentioned in the records of 54% of the 80 patients, indicating a need for more physician education in sleep disorders.     

Prejudices and psychiatry. Results of a survey among medical students]

The purpose of this survey was to know better the image of mental illness among the public. A 28 items questionnaire tried to summarize the main set-ideas usually held in this respect. It was submitted to a group of medical students. The answers obtained indicate quite clearly the force and continuity of some of these set-ideas: more complicated illness, often incurable, of which the number is constantly increasing; bad reputation of electrochocs. They also show an evolution of the state of minds concerning the differenciation of different types of illnesses, the alleged origins of mental illnesses and eventually the role and importance of psychotherapy in their treatment. Eventually a "free-opinions" section, underlined the common interest for the social condition of the mental patient, the responsibility of social factors in the genesis or the appearance of his troubles and above all for the "character" of psychiatrist. Conclusions drawn from this survey only have a relative value, but are encouraging enough to justify a larger and deeper one.