Attitudes of Vietnamese University students on restrictions of rights and compulsory admissions in patients with severe mental illness - a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: This cross-sectional, explorative study examines university students' attitudes (n = 610) in Hanoi, Vietnam, toward the rights of psychiatric patients. Methods: Medical students responded to self-report questionnaires investigating their attitudes towards restrictions and compulsory admissions in case of severe mental illness after attending a psychiatry course. Medical students and non-medical students who did not participate in the course served as two control groups. Results: In all groups, the majority of students opposed restricting the civil rights of psychiatric patients, but most supported compulsory admissions in certain situations. Medical students who had not attended a psychiatry course were generally more in favor of compulsory admissions compared to those who had attended a psychiatry course and non-medical students. However, when investigating attitudes on compulsory admission in specific scenarios, students that had attended a psychiatry course were more likely to endorse compulsory admissions, except when admission was based on the patient's family request. Discussion: Medical and psychiatric training seem to encourage more differentiated opinions on the use of compulsory admissions in psychiatric care. Future research, including longitudinal designs and a broader geographical scope, is needed to better understand the impact of psychiatric education in medical studies on attitudes toward mental health.