The Opinions of the Nurses Working at Psychiatric Field and Other Clinics About Psychiatric Disorders and Patients

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the views of nurses working in the field of psychiatry and other clinics regarding mental patients and their illnesses. This descriptive and analytical study was conducted with a total of 224 nurses working in two state hospitals, one university hospital in Mersin and the Mental Health and Diseases Hospital in Adana. 74 of these nurses work in the field of psychiatry and 150 in other clinics. Data were collected between September 2006 and August 2007 using a Personal Information Form and the Opinions About Mental Illness Scale (OMI). Statistical evaluation was made using independent t test in comparing two groups, ANOVA in comparing more than two groups and Bonferroni test as post hoc test to evaluate the difference between the groups. Statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05. The authoritarianism score of nurses working in the field of psychiatry was found to be statistically higher and more significant than that of nurses working in other clinics (p<0.05). The high authoritarianism score shows that nurses working in psychiatric clinics defend the view that individuals with mental illness are different from normal people and are worthless, compared to nurses working in non-psychiatric clinics. It has been determined that working in non-psychiatric clinics tend to have a more positive attitude towards mental patients and their illnesses than nurses working in nurse’s psychiatric clinics.