Preliminary study of associative stigma among trainee psychiatrists in Flanders, Belgium

Table 1 Results (absolute values and percentages) of the socio-demographic and educational variables of the trainee psychiatrists n (%)

	n = 151
Gender
Male/Female	49 (32.5)/102 (67.5)
Position in training
Junior/Senior	69 (45.7)/82 (54.3)
Relationship
Single/Steady relationship	22 (14.6)/129 (85.4)
Type of training
Adult/Children and adolescents	95 (62.9)/54 (35.8)
Both	2 (1.3)
Orientation in training
Biological/Psychotherapeutical	42 (24.5)/90 (59.6)
Both	19 (12.6)
Experience in training
Somatic, neurological, or liaison/Just clinical psychiatry	101 (66.9)/50 (33.1)

Table 2 Complete results of the answers to the questionnaire (absolute values and percentages), selected per item n (%)

	Never	Once	> Once	Often
Humiliating remarks about the profession	24 (15.9)	13 (8.6)	87 (57.6)	27 (17.9)
Humiliating remarks about the profession toward family members	115 (7.1)	9 (6.0)	27 (17.2)	1 (0.7)
Ever considered keeping quiet about the profession	121 (80.1)	4 (2.6)	23 (15.2)	3 (2.0)
Ever kept your profession quiet for others	126 (83.4)	6 (4.0)	18 (11.9)	1 (0.7)
Messages about psychiatrists as “not real doctors”	53 (35.1)	17 (11.3)	70 (46.4)	11 (7.3)
Not taken seriously by colleagues because of profession	46 (30.5)	12 (7.9)	65 (43.0)	28 (18.5)
Patient refused to talk to you	72 (47.7)	16 (10.6)	57 (37.7)	6 (4.0)
Ever given an explanation about the profession	42 (27.9)	9 (6.0)	62 (41.1)	38 (25.2)
Ever considered a change of career	108 (71.5)	9 (6.0)	30 (19.9)	4 (2.6)
Warned partner about marrying a psychiatrist	123 (81.5)	9 (6.0)	18 (11.9)	1 (0.7)
Ever discussed the importance of stigmatization with colleagues	65 (43.0)	18 (11.9)	59 (39.1)	9 (6.0)
Stigmatization mentioned during medical training	138 (91.4)	2 (1.3)	9 (6.0)	2 (1.3)
Stigmatization mentioned during psychiatric training	144 (95.4)	5 (3.3)	2 (1.3)	0 (0)
Discouraging remarks from tutors at university	77 (51.0)	27 (17.9)	40 (26.5)	7 (4.6)
Felt stigmatized within the professional medical circle	39 (25.8)	24 (15.9)	69 (45.7)	19 (12.6)
Felt stigmatized within society as a whole	69 (45.7)	15 (9.9)	55 (36.4)	12 (7.9)
Archetype vampire	126 (83.4)	13 (8.6)	12 (7.9)	0 (0)
Archetype fisher king	126 (83.4)	14 (9.3)	11 (7.3)	0 (0)
Archetype zaddik	137 (90.7)	8 (5.3)	6 (4.0)	0 (0)
Archetype crazy psychiatrist	94 (62.3)	17 (11.3)	35 (23.2)	5 (3.3)
Negative image of ECT in movies	98 (64.9)	16 (10.6)	27 (17.9)	10 (6.6)

ECT: Electroconvulsive therapy.