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Can Medical Students Recognize Depression? A Survey at the Zagreb School of Medicine

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Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate medical students’ knowledge and attitudes towards depression.

Methods

Students attending their final year at Zagreb School of Medicine completed a set of standardized questionnaires, including attitudes towards psychiatric medication, attitudes towards depression, and personality inventory.

Results

In total, 199 students completed the questionnaire (response rate 77 %). Most medical students were only partially able to correctly identify major symptoms of depression, but did suggest referral to mental health specialists as the most appropriate course of action. They recognized social and biological causes of depression. Degree of correct identification of symptoms of depression correlated positively with non-stigmatizing attitudes towards depression and negatively with stigmatizing attitudes towards depression.

Conclusion

Students’ attitudes toward depression may influence their recognition of symptoms of depression. Incorporation of these findings in development of undergraduate medical curricula may improve students’ recognition of depression.

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Disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Martina Rojnic Kuzman, Tomislav Kuzman & Josip Dujmovic

  2. Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

    Martina Rojnic Kuzman & Tomislav Kuzman

  3. Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia

    Dina Bosnjak

  4. Cakovec, Croatia

    Petra Vokal

  5. Zagreb, Croatia

    Josip Kuharic

  6. Department for Emergency Medicine, Đurđevac, Croatia

    Ivana Brkic

  7. Department of Psychiatry, Zagreb University Hospital Centre, Kispaticeva 12, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Martina Rojnic Kuzman

Authors
  1. Martina Rojnic Kuzman
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  2. Dina Bosnjak
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  3. Petra Vokal
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  4. Josip Kuharic
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  5. Ivana Brkic
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  6. Tomislav Kuzman
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  7. Josip Dujmovic
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martina Rojnic Kuzman.

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Kuzman, M.R., Bosnjak, D., Vokal, P. et al. Can Medical Students Recognize Depression? A Survey at the Zagreb School of Medicine. Acad Psychiatry 38, 312–315 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0109-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0109-8

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