Dental students perception towards mental illness

Background:Mental disorder also called mental illness.A wide range of conditions that affect mood, thinking and behaviour. A mental health disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.The main aim of this study is to analyse the knowledge and attitude towards mental illness among dental students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A self administered structured questionnaire was prepared and consisted of 12 questions. It was circulated to participants through an online platform (google form). Data was collected and the statistical analysis was done by SPSS software-23. Pearson chi square was used for association with gender and p value less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Males (majority) do not think mental illness will affect anxiety, bipolar, or depressive disorders than females (minority). People think that mental illness also affects mood, thinking and behaviours. Mental illness also affects sleep quality. 19% of them thought that prevention programmers reduce mental illness. 22% responded that mental illness requires social support and care. Conclusion: This study revealed that male were more aware about mental illness than females. This study may help many people to gain wide knowledge on mental illness and they will be aware of this.