Revista Internacional de Saúde Mental e Psiquiatria

Nurses Attitudes towards People with Mental Illness

Amira Ali Alshowkan

Introduction: Stigma toward people with mental illness was found to be the greatest barrier to treatment and recovery. Nurses were found to face several challenges in nursing people with mental illness, such as patients being more acute, demanding, and aggressive. These challenges may impact the nurses’ role and practice. Little is known about the attitude of nurses toward people with mental illness in Saudi Arabia.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the nurses' attitudes toward people with mental illness and the sociodemographic factors associated with their attitude. Method: The data were collected from 225 registered nurses using the Community Attitude toward Mental Illness (CAMI) scale. The data were analysed by SPSS 20 software.

Results: The results revealed that nurse's attitudes toward people with mental illness were generally positive. Nurses' positive attitudes were associated with age, years of experience, previous contact with people with mental illness, and position.

Conclusion: Positive nurses' attitudes toward people with mental illness are an important outcome indicator for the prospect to improvement with treatment and prospect of recovery. The understanding of such a phenomenon may also result in an increased possibility of provided care, as well as recovery and a better life for people with mental illness. Suggestions for mental health practices, nursing education, and future research were discussed.