Effects of Renaming Schizophrenia on Destigmatization among Medical Students in One Taiwan University

Yi-Hang Chiu, Meei-Ying Kao, Kah Kheng Goh, Cheng-Yu Lu and Mong-Liang Lu
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Yi-Hang Chiu: Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
Meei-Ying Kao: Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Kah Kheng Goh: Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
Cheng-Yu Lu: Psychology of Mental Health Programme, School of Health in Social Science, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
Mong-Liang Lu: Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-11

Abstract: The stigma associated with serious mental illnesses causes a huge burden on patients, their families, and society. In October 2012, in Taiwan, schizophrenia was renamed to reduce the stigma associated with this disease. The aim of this study was to compare the differences of public stigma, self-stigma, and social distance associated with schizophrenia between old and new name of schizophrenia in medical students. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 180 medical students of Taipei Medical University from October 2014 to February 2015. In total, 123 complete questionnaires were included in this study. Participants completed the modified attribution questionnaire, the perceived psychiatric stigma scale, and modified social distance scale to assess public stigma, self-stigma, and social distance, respectively. We also collected basic demographic data and previous experience of contact with people with mental illness. In total, 52 and 71 of the first- and fourth-year medical students, respectively, participated in the study. Among them, there were 51 females and 72 males. A significant difference in age was observed between the first- and fourth-year groups (20.2 ± 1.7 years vs. 22.7 ± 0.9 years, p < 0.001). After renaming schizophrenia, we noted significant differences in the scores in the modified attribution questionnaire, the perceived psychiatric stigma scale, and the modified social distance scale in all participants and the fourth-year students, respectively. Female gender (Beta = 0.230, p = 0.018) was significantly associated with the difference in the score of the modified attribution questionnaire after name change. The difference in the score of the perceived psychiatric stigma scale after the name change (Beta = 0.277, p = 0.004) and age (Beta = ?0.186, p = 0.049) were significantly associated with the difference in the score of the modified social distance scale after name change. In conclusion, renaming was associated with the changes in the scores of the modified attribution questionnaire, the perceived psychiatric stigma scale, and the modified social distance scale toward individuals with schizophrenia in medical students of one Taiwan university. Further studies with large sample sizes, diverse participant backgrounds, and that monitor the subsequent behavioral changes are warranted.

Keywords: renaming; public stigma; self-stigma; social distance; schizophrenia; medical students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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