Medical students and stigma of depression. Part I. Stigmatization of patients.

The stigmatization of the mentally ill is called the first barrier hampering their treatment and recovery: it leads to the rejection of such individuals, their discrimination and exclusion from participation in various areas of social life. It becomes particularly significant if the patients encounter this attitude among doctors, nurses and others healthcare professionals. The literature describes stigmatizing attitudes towards the mentally ill and it transpires that stigmatization and a negative approach can be found even among medical students, despite the fact that in the course of their studies they receive information on psychiatric disorders and their treatment. The attitude stigmatizing mental illnesses as presented by medical students may be related to their subsequent similar views as physicians, thus adversely affecting the quality of care offered to patients and cause self-stigmatization and its consequences. The paper presents a review of the literature on the stigmatization of patients suffering from depression by medical students and a review of the interventions proposed to-date, as well as a discussion of their effectiveness.