Community and Home Visits to Strengthen Knowledge, Attitudes and Experience of Psychiatric Care among Medical Students

Abstract

Objective: To compare the knowledge, attitudes, and experience of Year 6 medical students concerning psychiatric care before and after participating in home and community visits. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in the Year 6 medical students in the 2011 academic year. An anonymous and self-administered questionnaire was used as the pre-test and post-test of this study. The data were analyzed using median and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test to compare the pre-test and post-test of home and community visiting activity in order to explore the association of knowledge, attitudes, and experience of psychiatric care in medical students. Results: The scores of Year 6 medical students before and after participating in home and community visiting activity showed that they performed better in the knowledge, attitudes, and experience of psychiatric care after participating in home and community visiting activity. The differences were statistically significant (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Home and community visits can improve the knowledge, attitudes, and experience of year 6 medical students concerning psychiatric care.

Keywords

• attitudes
• experience of psychiatric care
• home and community visits
• medical student
• strengthen knowledge