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Does contact with the mentally ill affect nurses' attitudes to mental illness?
The British Journal of Medical Psychology
|September 1, 1988
Summary
Contact with psychiatric patients did not significantly alter nurses' attitudes. However, practical nurses, those with less experience, and religious nurses demonstrated more positive views towards mental illness.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Psychiatric Care
- Mental Health
Background:
- Nurses' attitudes towards psychiatric patients are crucial for effective care.
- Understanding factors influencing these attitudes, such as patient contact, is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of varying levels of contact on nurses' attitudes towards psychiatric patients.
- To identify specific nursing groups with potentially more positive attitudes.
Main Methods:
- Three groups of nurses were categorized based on their degree of contact with psychiatric patients.
- The Attitude towards Mental Illness (AMI) questionnaire was administered to assess attitudes.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in attitudes were found between the three groups with differing contact levels.
- Practical nurses reported more positive attitudes towards mental illness.
- Nurses with less experience and religious nurses also exhibited more favorable attitudes.
Conclusions:
- The degree of contact with psychiatric patients did not appear to influence nurses' overall attitudes.
- Specific subgroups, including practical nurses, less experienced nurses, and religious nurses, may possess inherently more positive attitudes towards mental illness.