Abstract:
To determine knowledge, attitudes, and cognitive skills of academic advisors toward mental health problems in Chulalongkorn medical students, and to examine their relationships with personal factors. The study samples were 273 academic advisors of medical students from the academic year 1980 to 2000. The pre-tested self-administered questionnaire developed by researcher was employed. Statistical methods used in data analysis included percent, mean, standard deviation, percentile, and Chi-square test. Research results were as follows: 1. Knowledge regarding mental health problems of the majority of advisors was at the fair level (40.1%). Personal factors that had statistically significant relationship with knowledge of mental health problems were department, marital status, number of child in the family, frequencies of being academic advisor, and academic position. These advisors who werer: being in clinical departments, married, having 2 children, being advisors more than 4 times, or being instructors, had a proportion in high level of knowledge more than other groups. 2. Most of the advisors' attitudes toward mental health problems were at the fair level (45.8%). Personal factors that had statistically significant relationship with attitudes toward mental health problems were sex, age, occupation, department, academic experience, frequencies of being academic advisor, total period of time being academic advisor, and academic position. These advisors who were: male, 40-49 years of ages, being doctors, being in clinical departments, having 11-15 years in academic experiences, being advisors at first time, being advisors less than 3 years, or being professors, had a proportion in high level of attitudes more than other groups. 3. Most of the advisors' cognitive skills in mental health problems were at the fair level (45.8%). Personal factors that had statistically significant relationship with cognitive skills in mental health problems were sex, advisor seminar participation, students' mental health, and students' purpose for attending. These advisors who were: female, attendants in advisor seminars, referrers of students with mental health problems to be treated by psychiatrist, or attended by students for consulting general problems, had a proportion in high levle of cognitive skills more than other groups.