Perceived Stigma Towards Psychological Illness in Relation to Psychological Distress Among Medical Students in Riyadh, S
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EMPIRICAL REPORT
Perceived Stigma Towards Psychological Illness in Relation to Psychological Distress Among Medical Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Dalal Ibrahim Alfayez 1
&
Norah Ali AlShehri 2
Received: 19 October 2019 / Accepted: 7 May 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Objective Due to the high prevalence of psychological distress among medical students and its related functional and cognitive implications, this study aimed to investigate the association between perceived stigma and psychological distress, estimate the prevalence of each level of distress among medical students, and determine the independent significant risk factors of outcome variables for each level of psychological distress. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed that surveyed medical students at King Saud University in 2018. Using the modified and validated stigma scale for receiving psychological help along with Kessler psychological distress scale, the survey measured perceived stigma towards mental illness in relation to the level of psychological distress. Results Among the 524 participants, 395 surveys were completed. Participants had a mean age of 21.56 years old, and 53% were female. The overall prevalence of severe psychological distress was 30.7% (N = 161). Furthermore, 25.6% of participants reported experiencing moderate distress (N = 134). Additionally, a significant association was found between females and severe psychological distress. Moreover, family income was significantly associated with severe psychological distress in the extreme lower and upper groups (5000–10,000 SR and above 20,000 SR). Participants with high levels of psychological distress were more likely than those with low levels to agree or strongly agree with 3 out of 10 items related to perceived stigma. Conclusions Medical students with moderate/severe psychological distress disclosed more concerns regarding stigma, particularly about perceived consequences of their mental health issues being revealed to others. Such opinions could cause physical health problems and decrease quality of life. Keywords Medical students . Psychological distress . Stigma
Psychological distress poses a substantial public health concern that affects people all around the world. The term psychological distress has been defined as a state of emotional suffering characterized by symptoms of depression and anxiety that are sometimes accompanied by somatic symptoms (e.g., insomnia, headaches, lack of energy) [1, 2]. Such suffering can have a tremendous effect on an individual, both directly and indirectly. Psychological distress has been shown to cause cognitive impairment and physical health issues such
* Dalal Ibrahim Alfayez [email protected] 1
King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2
King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [3, 4]. Medical students in particular were found to experience great levels of stress during their academic years [5, 6]. Such distress may i
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