Introduction: Many mental patients do not seek treatment for their illness due to the stigma of mental disorders and being judged by the treatment staff. The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the stigma of psychiatric disorder to mental patients before and after the psychiatric internship in medical students of Alborz University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: The present study method is descriptive-comparative. This study was conducted between August and December 1402 in Imam Hossein Mohammad Hospital in Karaj. Sampling by census method and 118 medical interns were included in the study. On the first and last day of the psychiatry department, the interns answered the demographic questionnaire and the "Open-Mindedness Scale of Health Care Providers". The reliability and validity of the instrument have been limited to other studies. The data was analyzed in SPSS .26.
Results: The average stigma score after the internship decreased compared to before, and this decrease was statistically significant(P<0.05), and the stigma score of male students is lower than that of female students, but it was not statistically significant. Statistically significant correlation was not found between the stigma score with the number of rounds, class, history, hospitalization, hours of study and participation in the clinic, but there was a direct significant correlation between the stigma score and the number of shifts (P<0.05).
Conclusions: The average score of stigma after the internship decreased compared to before, and this decrease was statistically significant. It is suggested that the authorities of Alborz University of Medical Sciences and the Psychiatry Department present and compile educational programs related to stigma and how to properly communicate with mentally ill patients during internships and internships.