The Relationship Between Personality Types and Attitudes Toward Psychiatry Among Medical and Psychology Students in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study explores how personality traits affect attitudes toward psychiatry among students in the UAE, finding that agreeableness and openness are strongly linked to positive views.

Contribution

The study is among the first to examine personality-attitude relationships in a Middle Eastern context and among non-medical students.

Findings

Agreeableness and openness were the strongest predictors of positive attitudes toward psychiatry.

Medical and psychology students showed similar patterns in personality-attitude correlations.

Emotional stability did not significantly correlate with attitudes toward psychiatry.

Abstract

Aims:
While personality traits are known to influence values, beliefs, and professional preferences, limited research has explored their impact on attitudes toward psychiatry, particularly in Middle Eastern contexts and among non-medical students. Personality traits also influence perceptions of mental illness among individuals, helping to understand the basis of societal mental health stigma. Understanding the relationship between personality traits and attitudes toward psychiatry is crucial for developing educational strategies that support positive perceptions, ultimately enhancing healthcare outcomes for individuals living with mental illnesses.

Methods:
This study employed a cross-sectional design to evaluate how personality dimensions correlate with perceptions of psychiatry in a sample of 503 students, including 377 medical and 126 psychology students from three major universities in the United Arab Emirates. Attitudes toward psychiatry were assessed using the Attitudes Towards Psychiatry (ATP-30) scale, and personality traits were evaluated using the Big Five Inventory. Spearman’s rank correlation was employed to analyse the relationships between ATP scores and personality dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience.

Results:
Significant positive correlations were found between ATP-30 scores and four personality traits: extraversion (r=0.11, p=0.01), agreeableness (r=0.22, p<0.001), conscientiousness (r=0.10, p=0.03), and openness (r=0.28, p<0.001). Emotional stability did not exhibit a significant correlation (r=−0.03, p=0.58). Medical students demonstrated similar patterns, with openness (r=0.26, p<0.001) and agreeableness (r=0.20, p<0.001) being the strongest predictors. Among psychology students, only agreeableness (r=0.21, p=0.02) and openness (r=0.30, p<0.001) showed significant associations.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the influence of personality traits – particularly agreeableness and openness – on attitudes toward psychiatry. They highlight the need for tailored educational approaches to promote positive perceptions of psychiatry, with implications for improving both training outcomes and therapeutic relationships.