Turkish Psychiatric Inpatients' Perceptions of Ward Atmosphere and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services Research
• Nursing

Background:

• Ward atmosphere significantly impacts patient safety, autonomy, therapeutic engagement, and recovery in psychiatric care.
• International research on ward climate is extensive, yet patient perceptions in Türkiye remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe adult psychiatric inpatients' perceptions of ward atmosphere in Türkiye.
• To identify factors influencing these perceptions, including demographics and diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 150 adult inpatients in open psychiatric wards in Istanbul.
• Data collected via Personal Information Form and Ward Atmosphere Scale, analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and correlation analyses.

Main Results:

• Patients reported highest scores for Order and Organization, lowest for Autonomy.
• Gender, marital status, admission type, education level, and diagnosis significantly influenced perceptions.
• Age positively correlated with Order and Organization and Program Clarity.

Conclusions:

• Psychiatric inpatients in Türkiye perceive a structured ward climate with limited autonomy.
• Enhancing autonomy, clarifying routines, and implementing interventions like Safewards are crucial for improving therapeutic engagement and reducing conflict.
• Psychiatric nurses are key in optimizing ward climate.