Survey on women's mental health awareness among medical undergraduates and postgraduates

摘要

This is to submit theresults ofasurvey conducted in 2015–2016 in atertiary careacademic hospitalwith fully functioning psychiatry unit, to assess theawarenessregardingwomen's mental health disordersamongmedical undergraduatesand postgraduates. Participants (171) in thestudy comprised undergraduateandpostgraduatestudentsas wellas medicalfaculty covering theage group from18 to 62 years ofage. Majority ofthe participants were males (57.8%), undergraduatestudents (76.6%), followed by postgraduatestudents (19.29%), were unmarried (91.8%), belonged to middle-class socioeconomicstatus (70.1%),and camefromanurban background (85.9%). 67.8%ofthe participants lived in nuclear families,and 61.4%had 2–5 female members in their family.Participants wereevaluated forawareness regarding premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartumdepression/psychosis,and premenopausal psychiatricsymptomsasa whole. Majority (53.2%) ofthe participantseither denied theexistence ofthese disorders or were unawareabout them(35%). 14.61%ofthestudy participantswereaware ofallthese disorders,and majority gained knowledgeabout themduringmedicaltraining as reported by them. Only 35.6%ofthe participants wereawarethat these psychiatric disorders have biological basisand 57.8%had had no exposureto any awarenesscampaign regardingwomen's mental health issues. Majority ofthe participants (66.6%) wereinterested in attending an academicactivity if organized to increasetheir knowledgeabout women's mental health conditions.