Pharmacy students’ perceptions of the impact of mental disorders on pharmacy education in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: In Nigeria, the extent to which pharmacy students perceive that mental illness can impair their academic performance, be a reason for the dismissal or rejection of a pharmacy school applicant is unknown.    Aim: To examine pharmacy undergraduate students’ perceptions of the impact of mental illnesses on pharmacy education in Nigeria.  Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among pharmacy students from six Nigerian universities. The data were collected using a modified self-administered paper-based Mental Illness Performance Scale. Descriptive statistics, Student t-test, and One-way analysis of variance were used for the data analysis.    Results: The study received responses from 496 pharmacy students, yielding a 93.2% response rate. A vast majority of the students agreed or strongly agreed that depression (98.7%), anxiety (98.4%), and substance abuse (83.9%) affect pharmacy students' academic performance. Fewer students agreed or strongly agreed that depression (31.4%) and anxiety disorder (37.9%) would be grounds for expulsion from pharmacy school. Substance abuse (62.5%) and schizophrenia (58.1%) were supported as reasons for rejecting an applicant into the pharmacy programme.    Conclusion: The findings suggest that pharmacy students perceive that having a mental disorder would negatively affect pharmacy education in Nigeria.