Attitudes of university students towards people with mental health disorders: a survey-based study

Abstract Background Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan face significant challenges regarding mental disorders. Individuals with mental health disorders often conceal their conditions, particularly in certain cultural contexts, due to the negative attitudes they face. This study aims to explore the attitudes of university students towards individuals with mental health disorders. Methods A sample of 294 university students from five distinct colleges within a public university in the Kurdistan region of Iraq was selected to participate in an attitudinal survey. The participants were chosen using convenience sampling. The survey encompassed 34 items, which were categorized into six overarching conceptual sub-scales: benevolence, separatism, stereotyping, restrictiveness, pessimistic prediction, and stigmatization. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the gathered data. Results The findings indicate that the majority of participants held negative attitudes towards individuals with mental health disorder. Furthermore, the study identified statistically significant associations between socio-demographic variables and students’ attitudes across most of the subscales. Conclusion The study highlights the prevalence of negative attitudes towards individuals with mental health disorder among university students. It suggests the establishment of a psychological and guidance counseling center at the university to promote awareness about mental health disorder and provide guidance and training to mitigate its severity, similar to physical illnesses.