Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2021
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Pharmacy Administration
First Advisor
Eric Pittman
Second Advisor
Erin Holmes
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Background. The mental health stigma of pharmacists, the most accessible health professional, can have a significant impact on not only how these patients seek treatment, but also their quality of life (Mey et al., 2013). This study intends to explore mental health stigma among pharmacists and also examine the need for continuing education focused on mental health.
Methods. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study that employed a self-administered online survey. The subjects were pharmacist members of the Mississippi Pharmacists Association (MPhA). Demographic characteristics were collected. The level of mental health stigma among the respondents was examined using the Community Attitudes Toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale in its full 40-question format. Social desirability bias was evaluated using a validated 13 question revision of the Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability scale. The final variable measured was the interest in mental-health specific continuing education. Descriptive statistics were employed to meet study objectives.
Results. Caucasian females practicing in Mississippi composed the majority of respondents with an average age of 51 and an average of 26 years of practice. Most respondents considered their geographic location to be urban and their primary practice setting as an independent community pharmacy at which they were employed full-time. In relation to their personal experience with mental illness, the majority reported having at the least observed someone they believed had a mental illness in passing or on television. The results of the CAMI scale indicated that, on average, the pharmacists disagreed with the concepts of the authoritarianism and social restrictiveness subscales and agreed with those of the benevolence subscale. The average for the CMHI subscale was approximately in the mid-range and did not indicate agreement or disagreement. Respondents indicated a variety of continuing education needs related to mental illness.
Conclusion. Pharmacists generally indicated low levels of stigma with regard to mental illness, however, they indicate a need for continuing education in a variety of treatment areas. Continuing education providers are encouraged to provide programming not only for mental illness treatment but also for navigated the care of such patients.
Recommended Citation
Dale, Victoria, "Mental Health Stigma Among Pharmacy Professionals and the Need for Continuing Education" (2021). Honors Theses. 1595.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1595
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