Clinical trial NCT04644978: European Study on the Attitude of Psychiatrists Towards Their Patients
Official title: European Study on the Attitude of Psychiatrists Towards Their Patients
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Mental Illness
Stigmatization
Keywords: Stigma
Mental health related stigma
Stigmatising attitude
Mental health problems
Survey
Psychiatry
Psychiatrist
Lead sponsor: Semmelweis University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-11-25
Enrollment: 4245
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 24
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Practising specialists and trainees in adult psychiatry or child and adolescent psychiatry who work in the participating European countries

Brief summary: Background: Many people think that people with mental disorders might be dangerous or unpredictable. These patients face various sources of disadvantages and experience discrimination on job interviews, in education, and housing. Mental health-related stigma (MHS) occurs not only within the public community, it is a growing issue among professionals as well.

Aim: The investigators designed a prospective, observational, multi-centre, international study of 35 European countries to investigate the MHS among medical specialists and trainees in the field of general adult and child and adolescent psychiatry.

Methods: An internet-based, anonymous survey will measure the stigmatizing attitude by using the local version of the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers.

Presentation of the Results: The results of the research will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, the research team will present the results at national and international conferences.

Detailed description: There is a rising interest in the examination of the MHS that has been mostly studied among community people. Numerous international studies have shown that people with mental illness are considered to be unpredictable and dangerous. These people often experience disadvantages in various situations, like job interviews, education, and housing.

The MHS has been much less examined among medical professionals and psychiatrists; however, studies have shown that it is prevalent among them as well.

A recent multi-centre study collected the positive and negative experiences of 777 people with schizophrenia regarding access to healthcare services in 27 countries. More than 17% of the patients experienced some kind of discrimination due to their mental illness when they sought medical care for physical problems. More than 38% felt that the medical staff was disrespectful during psychiatric services. Higher discrimination was found within the former Eastern Bloc countries.

Generally, psychiatrists tend to be more empathetic towards people with mental illnesses; however, the MHS could be observed among them as well. A few studies have also shown that their attitude is more negative than that of community people.

Based on the ambiguous results and the lack of studies focusing on the stigmatizing attitude of psychiatrists, the research team aimed to examine this important issue among medical professionals in the mental health field.

Aim of the study:

Our aim is to investigate the stigmatizing attitudes and behaviours of adult psychiatric and child and adolescent psychiatric professionals and trainees towards people with mental illness in European countries.

The results of our study will contribute to the expansion of the existing knowledge both on national and international levels. The outcome could be used for the development of anti-stigma programs and the improvement of therapeutic options in the future.

Structure of the research:

Our study is cross-sectional and multi-centred across 35 European countries. The research team would like to measure the extent of the stigmatizing attitude and its relationship with psychosocial factors.

* Sociodemographic measures:

  * sociodemographic data: age, sex
  * professional data: workplace categories (university, psychiatric hospital, outpatient service, research centre); location of the workplace (capital, county seat, rural town, small town, village); years of professional experience; current psychotherapeutic activity
  * personal information (related to a stigmatizing attitude): mental illness is known in his/her family or close friend, previous treatment for own mental illness, attending psychotherapy
* National version of the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC)

An online questionnaire will be provided for the participants of our study. Participation in the study is voluntary, and it can be terminated at any time without having to give any reasons.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* The responder must be a practising specialist or trainee in psychiatry or child and adolescent psychiatry in one of the participating countries on the basis of his / her own declaration.
* Responders could provide their consent by choosing "I agree" on the website, after reading the information leaflet and the informed consent form. Only those participants will be able to complete the online survey who chose "I agree" on the website.

Exclusion Criteria:

* The choice of "I do not agree" option of the participant on the website after reading the informed consent form. The responder will be guided automatically to the end of the survey.

Primary outcomes:
measure: stigmatising attitude
timeFrame: Baseline
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Tirana
country: Albania
facility: Xhavit Gjata Hospital
city: Graz
country: Austria
facility: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicin, Medical University of Graz
city: Baku
country: Azerbaijan
facility: City Hospital N15
city: Minsk
country: Belarus
facility: Psychiatric Clinic of Minsk City
city: Sofia
country: Bulgaria
facility: Military Medical Academy, Department of Psychiatry
city: Zagreb
country: Croatia
facility: University Hospital Centre Zagreb
city: Nicosia
country: Cyprus
facility: Private Practice
city: Prague
country: Czechia
facility: 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
city: Aalborg
country: Denmark
facility: Research Unit for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatry- Aalborg University Hospital
city: Tartu
country: Estonia
facility: University of Tartu
city: Quimper
country: France
facility: EPSM Étienne Gourmelen
city: Munich
country: Germany
facility: Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München
city: Ioánnina
country: Greece
facility: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina
city: Budapest
country: Hungary
facility: Semmelweis University
city: Dublin
country: Ireland
facility: Department of Liasion Psychiatry, Mater University Hospital
city: Catanzaro
country: Italy
facility: University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro
city: Jelgava
country: Latvia
facility: Hospital Gintermuiza
city: Vilnius
country: Lithuania
facility: Vilnius University, Facutly of Medicine, Psychiatric Clinic
city: Attard
country: Malta
facility: Mount Carmel Hospital
city: Podgorica
country: Montenegro
facility: Clinical Centre of Montenegro, Clinic for Psychiatry
city: Rotterdam
country: Netherlands
facility: Erasmus University
city: Coimbra
country: Portugal
facility: Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra
city: Moscow
country: Russian Federation
facility: The Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry
city: Belgrade
country: Serbia
facility: Institute for Mental Health
city: Michalovce
country: Slovakia
facility: Psychiatric Hospital Michalovce
city: Ljubljana
country: Slovenia
facility: Centre for Clinical Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic and Children's hospital Ljubljana
city: Barcelona
country: Spain
facility: Fidmag Foundation
city: Littenheid
country: Switzerland
facility: Psychiatrische Klinik Clienia Littenheid
city: Ankara
country: Turkey
facility: Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
city: Chernivtsi
country: Ukraine
facility: Chernivtsi Regional Mental Hospital, Bukovinian State Medical University
city: Oldham
country: United Kingdom
facility: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Study officials:
affiliation: Vadaskert Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital, Budapest, Hungary
name: Dorottya Ori, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: