Effect of patient contact on attitudes of student nurses towards people with mental illness : a pilot study

Abstract EN

Introduction: Studies of social attitudes towards people with mental illness revealed their being stereotyped as untrustworthy, ineffective and even dangerous.

It is hypothesized that contact with patients is associated with an increase in favorable attitudes towards those with mental illness.

Method: An assessment of attitudes toward people with mental illness was administered to student nurses before and after their psychiatric nurse training rotation.

Results: A significant increase in favorable attitudes was found at the expense of a reduction in undecided and unfavorable attitudes.

Conclusion: Contact with patients during training, elicited empathy from trainee nurses, which was reflected in more favorable attitudes towards people with mental illness.

It resulted in a positive shift away from unfavorable attitudes of fear, untrustworthiness, unpredictability and even feelings of being at-risk derived from the culture from which the student nurses came