اتجاهات طلبة جامعة النجاح الوطنية نحو المرض النفسي

This study sought to achieve the following two objectives .First ,it aimed at identifying Najah University students' attitudes toward mental illness. Second ,it aimed at identifying the impact of sex, GPA, academic level, college and place of residence variables among student toward mental illness This study was important because it gave a clear picture about Najah N. University students' attitudes towards mental illness, given their education and role in the society. Therefore, the university administration has to plan in the light of the study findings .Moreover ,mental illness - related courses have to reconsidered in terms of content in the light of the results of this study. The study findings are expected to provide us with information about the impact of sex, GPA, academic level, college and place of residence of students on their attitudes towards mental illness. Within its theoretical framework and its findings ,this study is expected to contribute to the benefit of researchers and specialists in conducting new useful research in this field. Modem age is considered one of the main factors behind the emergence of mental illness. This was due to the dramatic progress in all life spheres and the individuals' inability to follow such dramatic change. The researcher, moreover, found that some people have a negative attitude toward the mental patient or those who visit a psychiatrist's clinic. The researcher tackled this problem in order to check Najah N. University students towards mental illness given the fact that this section of the society is the 1110Steducated and most influential in the society in the future. The study endeavored, specifically, to answer the following questions: 1. What are the attitudes of Najah N. University students towards mental illness. 2. Are there statistically significant differences among Najah University students" attitudes towards mental illness which may be attributed to sex variable? 3. Are there statistically significant differences among attitudes of Najah N. University students toward mental illness which may be attributed to their GPJ variable? 4. Are there statistically significant differences among attitudes of Najah N. University students towards mental illness which may be attributed to their academic level variable? 5. Are there statistically significant differences among attitudes of Najah N. University students towards mental illness which may be attributed to college variable? . Are there statistically significant differences among attitudes of Najah N. University students toward mental illness which may be attributed to their permanent place of residence? This study sought to test the following hypotheses: There are no statistically significant differences at (α =0.05 in university students' toward mental illness which may be attributed to sex variable. 2. There are no statistically significant differences at α = 0.05 in university students' altitudes toward mental illness which may be attributed to their GPA. 3. There are no statistically significant differences at α = 0.05 in university students' attitudes toward mental illness which may be attributed to their academic level variable. 4. There are no statistically significant differences at α = 0.05 in university students' attitudes toward mental illness which may be attributed to college variable. 5. There are no statistically significant differences at α = 0.05 in university students' attitudes toward mental illness which may be attributed to their permanent place of residence. This study was conducted on a sample of 500 men and women students selected randomly and systematically. The sample represented some 10% of the study target population attending colleges of Education, Economics, Pharmacy, and Arts. The study was conducted in the second semester, between March 5- 27,1998. The study findings have the scholarly qualities because it used the Measurement of Attitudes Toward Mental iIIness. To identify the attitudes of the subjects of this study towards mental illness, the researcher used Measurement of Attitudes Towards Mental Illness designed by Suleiman Boumedyen (1989) in his master thesis done to identify University of Jordan students' attitudes towards mental illness. The questionnaire consisted of 44 items distributed among five domains: I. Psychotherapy. 2. Social restriction. 3. Human Perception. 4. Interpersonal relation. To check the questionnaire reliability, the researcher showed it to ten referees holding Ph.Ds and teaching at An-Najah N. University. The referees' opinions were in favor of using the instrument to measure the study subjects. They unanimously agreed that the questionnaire was valid. To determine coefficient validity of the instrument, the researcher extracted it from each of the five domains by administering and readministering the questionnaire on pilot sample of 30 men and women students in the Faculty of Educational Sciences. However, this sample was not included in the study sample. Using Pearson's equation, the coefficient validity was as follows. Psychotherapy 0.72 Human Perception 0.86 Interpersonal relations 0.85 Social restriction 0.81 Social interaction 0.74 Each subject in the study, when administering the questionnaire, received six sub degrees. Each subject's score was calculated for each domains by combining the subject's scores on the items of the domains in question. High scores indicated that the domains was positive while low scores indicated negative attitude. Findings of the study showed that the attitudes of Najah N. University students' towards mental illness was positive. It was also found that there were statistically significant differences in attitudes towards males and females 011 the social restriction, human perception and social restriction domains. These differences were in favor of females. However, there were no statistically significant differences on therapy, and interpersonal relations which may be attributed to sex variable. Further, results of the study showed that there were no statistically significant differences in university students' attitudes towards mental illness which may be attributed to their GPA. The results also revealed that the higher the academic level, the move positive the attitude was toward mental illness. That is, there is a positive relationship between the academic level and the attitudes of mental illness. The results also showed that there were statistically significant differences in students' attitudes towards mental illness in all domains which may be attributed to college variable. This was clearly shown in favor of college of Educational Sciences. Finally, the results revealed no statistically significant difference in students' attitudes towards mental illness which may be attributed to their permanent place of residence: city, village and refugee camp. In the light of the study objectives and results, the researcher recommends the following. 1. Najah N. University administration should show more interest in developing students' positive attitudes towards mental iIIness on the dimensions of therapy, social restricting. Social interaction because the attitudes were negative on their dimensions. 2. There is a necessity to introduce educational and psychological programs, relevant to mental illness and mental health, for students in different specializations in the university . 3.Holding Seminars and Lectures on the University campus about mental illness. This well have a positive role in making or providing information about mental illness. This will result in creating positive attitudes towards the illness. 4. Creating awareness among individuals about mental illness in schools because they are considered the basic base through which the majority of the people pass. There is a possibility of creating more positive attitudes in schools compared with universities. These attitudes in schools may gradually in coming stages. 5. Conducting other studies to compare attitudes towards mental illness among Palestinian University Students.