ATTITUDES OF MEDICAL-STUDENTS TOWARDS THE TREATMENT WITH PSYCHOTROPIC-DRUGS .1. COMPARISON BETWEEN MEDICAL-STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC

The attitudes of medical students towards psychotropic drugs are compa red with those of the general public. Students strike a more positive balance between the costs and benefits of this treatment method. Where as there are no marked differences as concerns desirable effects both groups differences considerably in the assessment of the limitations a nd risk of undesirable side-effects with students being less sceptical in this respect. Also with regard to other attitudinal domains studen t's judgement is more favourable. However, this does not mean that the re is not a remarkably large group which articulates reservatious agai nst the use of psychotropic drugs. Whereas the majority of the lay pub lic considers psychotherapy in general as superior to psychopharmacoth erapy most students tend to differentiate between the various forms of psychiatric disorder.