Perceived Stigma Towards Psychological Illness in Relation to Psychological Distress Among Medical Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Objective: Due to the high prevalence of psychological distress among medical students and its related functional and cognitive implications, this study aimed to investigate the association between perceived stigma and psychological distress, estimate the prevalence of each level of distress among medical students, and determine the independent significant risk factors of outcome variables for each level of psychological distress.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed that surveyed medical students at King Saud University in 2018. Using the modified and validated stigma scale for receiving psychological help along with Kessler psychological distress scale, the survey measured perceived stigma towards mental illness in relation to the level of psychological distress.