MEDICAL-STUDENTS ATTITUDE TOWARDS PSYCHOP HARMACOTHERAPY .2. CHANGES IN ATTITUDES DURING THE COURSE

Advanced medical students' attitude to psychotropic drugs is more posi tive than the lay public's view on that subject (see part I). The ques tion arises if this is a result of the psychiatric and psycho-pharmaco logical knowledge students have acquired during their medical educatio n or an effect of selection by which students already have a more posi tive opinion of psychotropic drugs before the commencement of their me dical education. Our survey in three differently advanced groups of me dical students (n = 323) was carried out with a questionnaire. In cont rast to their scepticism concerning psychopharmacological treatment st udents in the beginning of their medical education estimate others tha n psychotropic drugs Sic ly than the lay public. This may be explained by a beginning identification with the model of a quickly and effecti vely treating doctor. In the course of medical and especially psychiat ric and psychopharmacological education, there is a tendency to a more differentiated and positive view on the effects of psychotropic drugs although the generally critical attitude persists.