ATTITUDES OF DENTISTRY STUDENTS FROM A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO TOWARDS MENTAL DISORDERS

• Grant number: 24/13157-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Social and Preventive Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Fernanda Lopez Rosell
• Grantee: Guilherme Inocenti Miasso
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOAr). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

People with mental disorders are significantly susceptible to developing changes in the oral cavity due to exposure to several risk factors. The existence of negative attitudes and opinions among students and health professionals can contribute to differentiation in health care, negatively impacting treatment. In this context, this study aims to analyze the attitudes of undergraduate dentistry students from a public university in the state of São Paulo toward people with mental disorders. This is a quantitative, cross-sectional, analytical and observational study. Regularly enrolled undergraduate dentistry students will be included in the sample. The instruments used for data collection will be: a questionnaire on the profile of the undergraduate student composed of sociodemographic, economic, academic and mental health history data and the "Opinions on Mental Illness Scale" (ODM), validated in Brazil by Rodrigues (1983). The ODM consists of 51 items, with Likert-type responses ranging from 1 (completely agree) to 6 (completely disagree). These statements were grouped into seven dimensions: authoritarianism, benevolence, mental hygiene ideology, social restriction, interpersonal etiology, mental effort etiology, and minority view. The sample recruitment will be carried out in person. After agreeing to participate in the study, participants will answer the form with the instruments for data collection. The data will be stored in the Excel® program and later analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 24. It is expected that by analyzing the understanding of the attitudes of undergraduate dentistry students towards mental disorders, it will be possible to identify areas where educational intervention is needed to promote a more sensitive and inclusive approach to dental care, in addition to providing support for changes in curricular structures, with a focus on prevention, promotion, and treatment of aspects associated with mental health and reducing stigma.