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Medical students' perspective of maximum security psychiatric care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Lindsay D. G. Thomson*
Affiliation:
The University of Edinburgh, Kennedy Tower, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EH10 5HF
Colin M. Gray
Affiliation:
The State Hospital Carstairs
Martin S. Humphreys
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
*
Correspondence
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Abstract

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Aims and method

This study describes the effects of teaching medical students in a maximum security psychiatric setting. A questionnaire was distributed to students (n=210) at the beginning and end of their third year.

Results

Following the visit to the State Hospital significantly more students understood that maximum security psychiatric facilities are part of the National Health Service; that some serious offenders may require hospitalisation rather than imprisonment; that not everyone detained in such surroundings is actively violent or dangerous, or permanently detained. Twenty-three students considered forensic psychiatry to be a possible career option.

Clinical implications

This study demonstrates that early exposure, even to such a specialised area of practice, can enhance the prospects of future recruitment. Attracting motivated, able and interested doctors is important in improving patient care.

Type
Education and training
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Baldwin, P. J., Dodd, M., Buckle, E. G., et al (1998) Medical careers: reason for choosing a particular speciality. Health Bulletin, 56, 498503.Google Scholar
Thomson, L., Bogue, J., Humphreys, M., et al (1997) The State Hospital Survey: a description of psychiatric patients in conditions of special security in Scotland. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 8, 263284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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