EPA-0724 – Teachers’ and Medical Community‘s Perception on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in a Small Town From Romania

Abstract

Introduction:

Socio – cultural factors play an important role in people’ s perception of child mental health problems and services.

Objectives:

To measure the perception of child and adolescent psychiatry in a small town, from the south-western part of Transylvania, Romania.

Aims:

To analyze whether the level of medical training influences the addressability to psychiatric services.

Methods:

The 90 respondents of the study included 27 doctors (other than psychiatrists), 32 nurses from the local hospital and 31 teachers. We randomly selected the participants, by consulting the list of the two institutions’ employees, in a specific day.

The questionnaire consisted of 12 questions about demographic profile and perception of pediatrics psychiatry, as a medical specialty. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Two questionnaires were precluded because of not having all the items answered. To examine the statistical significance of the differences, one way ANOVA and nonparametric Kruskall Wallis test were used.

Results:

More than half (51%) considered that psychiatric medication may both diminish the symptoms, but can also have side effects on subjects. 68% of respondents said that a child is stigmatized when being in psychiatric service evidence. There was a valid statistical correlation between the medical level of training and the addressability to psychiatric services (r +0.39, p<0.001). Doctors would take their child to psychiatric services, as a personal decision, while teachers would apply to psychiatric services at recommendation of general practitioner/pediatrician (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

The addressability to psychiatric services is related to the level of medical training.