Stigmatization of persons with mental disorders by therapeutic doctors, as an obstacle to obtaining general medical care

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Abstract

Somatic diseases are widespread in people with mental disorders (DM). At the same time, there is a lack of integration of somatic and psychiatric medical care, and stigmatization and discrimination lead to neglecting their needs in the treatment of somatic pathology.

This study aimed to develop recommendations for destigmatizing people with mental disorders by doctors of the general medical treatment network.

Methods. A sample of 217 general practitioners was examined using medical, sociological and psychometric methods: 36 (16.6%) males and 181 (83.4%) females aged 25–73 (45.1±12.7) years with 1–48 (19.5±12.6) years of working experience.

Results. It has been established that therapeutic doctors have both a reassessment of their own competence in the field of psychiatry and archaic ideas about the genesis of mental disorders: fifth part does not admit their biological nature, and one in ten believes that people with mental disorders are “contactors with aliens”. The distance between therapeutic doctors and people with mental disorders was verified: less than 2% of therapeutic doctors accept them as work colleagues, more than half only as “citizens of their country”, and one in ten would generally prefer not to see persons with mental disorders in country. This point of view is more inherent in males. The vast majorities (81.6%) of therapeutic doctors do not allow their children to be friends with people with mental disorders and would prohibit them from giving birth and raising their own children, as well as marriage. A third part of therapeutic doctors consider that it is undesirable to treat persons with mental disorders together with the mentally healthy, and insist on creating separate clinics for them or treatment in psychiatric hospitals.

Conclusions. In order to destigmatize persons with mental disorders, it is advisable to introduce lectures and practical exercises in psychiatry at certified continuing education courses and therapeutic practice in a psychiatric clinic. For a long-term perspective, it is necessary to develop a destigmatization program for students of medical universities and its implementation in the program of the psychiatry course.

About the authors

Ol’ga I.  Churnosova

Belgorod National Research University

Email: ruzhenkov@bsu.edu.ru
Russian Federation, 308015, Belgorod, Pobedy St., 85

Viktor  A.  Ruzhenkov

Belgorod National Research University

Author for correspondence.
Email: ruzhenkov@bsu.edu.ru
Russian Federation, 308015, Belgorod, Pobedy St., 85

Victoria  V. Ruzhenkova

Belgorod National Research University

Email: ruzhenkov@bsu.edu.ru
Russian Federation, 308015, Belgorod, Pobedy St., 85

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2. Fig. 1. Distribution of doctors by experience of communication with people with mental disorders

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3. Fig. 2. Distribution of doctors by subjective assessment of their own competence in the field of psychiatry

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Copyright (c) 2020 Churnosova O.I., Ruzhenkov V.A., Ruzhenkova V.V.

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