Monica Zolezzi|Nawal Bensmail|Farah Zahrah|Salma M. Khaled|Taysier El-Gaili
Stigma associated with mental illness: perspectives of university students in Qatar
Qatar University
background stigma relation mental illness one main factors inhibiting people seeking helpstudies undertaken looking knowledge attitudes beliefs kab mental illness among residents qatar however none looked specifically students higher educationthe aim study understand kab toward mental illness among students qatari university determine differences based gender nationality college typemethods convenience sample students genders colleges nationalities approached participate survey consisted four sections demographic beliefs attitudes helpseeking treatment preferences associated mental illnesschisquare testing performed test differences distribution proportions primary outcomes students beliefs attitudes helpseeking treatment preferencesresults total 282 students completed surveythe majority participating students females 593 nonqataris 643 enrolled sciencebased colleges 627beliefs reflecting poor mental health literacy medications treat mental illness cause addiction mental illness like illness mental illness punishment god reported majority students 844 567 502 respectivelystigmatizing attitudes endorsed majority students included believing people mental illness cannot regular jobs 602 people mental illness dangerous 657 would marry someone mental illness 889additionally 336 students indicated would ashamed mention someone family themself mental illnessa vast majority students 863 indicated prefer family friends support treatment optionssignificant differences kab mental illness genders colleges college type found items conclusionthe findings study suggest high percentage students reported kab mental illness considered stigmatizingstudents kab mental illness consistent reported general population qatarnevertheless sample small larger studies randomly selected population needed confirm findings