The Importance of Training and Previous Contact in University Students' Opinion about Persons with Mental Disorder

Introduction: The present study analyzes differences in university students' opinions towards persons with mental disorder, as a function of whether they have had previous contact with them and whether they have received training about them. Method: The Opinions about Mental Illness Scale for Spanish population (OMI-S) was applied to a sample of 474 students at the University of Extremadura (Spain). They were also asked whether they had had previous contact with such persons. Within the total sample, 279 students were pursuing a degree in Social Education. Results: Training received seemed to exert greater influence than previous contact. Moreover, having contact with these persons appeared to produce significant differences in opinion only in students who had received such training. Discussion and conclusions: Based on the above, it would be beneficial to carry out educational measures that are based on contact, since training would make this contact more positive and meaningful.