Views of Nursing Students Who Have Experienced Caring for Psychiatric Patients on Mental Illness and Stigma: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Aim: To explore the views of nursing students who have experienced caring for psychiatric patients on mental illness and stigma. Methods:The phenomenological method was used in the study as the qualitative research design. The research was conducted with 23 students who completed the theoretical part of the psychiatric nursing course and its clinical practice in the nursing department of a university in Turkey. The data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and analyzed by content analysis method.Results: In this study, the research efforts were continued until data saturation was achieved, and in this respect, the data saturation was attained with 23 students. Upon the analysis of research data, five main themes and 12 subthemes were developed. The main themes were as follows:(1) Meaning of mental illness, (2) Challenges experienced by the patients, (3) Reasons for stigmatization, (4) Recommendations for reducing the stigmatization, and (5) Effect of psychiatric nursing course. Conclusion:It was identified that the nursing students shared common views about the reasons for the stigmatization and the recommendations for reducing it, and the psychiatric nursing course gave rise to positive changes in students' emotions, thoughts, and behaviors about the mental illnesses.

Nursing students’ metaphors of first clinical experiences of encountering patients with mental disorders

“…They also had a more advanced understanding of the importance of stigma. In addition, they stated that there was a change in their view of patients and diseases [ 20 ]. One study also showed that with time on a clinical internship, students considered people with mental disorders to be less dangerous [ 41 ].…”

“…Students in the study conducted by Başoğul (2021) also stated that these patients are marginalized, ridiculed, and treated as if they are different from others. These students used words such as confinement in society, difficulty, difference, unluckiness, lostness, derangement, obscurity, and innocence to explain mental illness [ 20 ]. Some studies have also used the metaphor of “a fragmented entity” to describe patients with depression [ 49 ] and schizophrenia [ 50 ].…”

“…Patients with psychiatric dysfunction in the study conducted by Abbasi et al (2010) felt that they were treated with disrespect and mocked in the mental health systems [ 57 ]. Nursing students participating in Başoğul’s study (2021) suggested creating a treatment environment in which, in addition to other services, mental health services are also provided, protecting patients’ rights and amending legal regulations [ 20 ]. World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the urgent need to transform mental health and mental health care.…”

“…Some nursing students participating in the Başoğul (2021) study stated that improving the communication skills of health workers and focusing on patient-centered care could be effective in reducing stigma. In addition, they emphasized the importance of nurses’ expertise in this field [ 20 ].…”

“…This issue can lead to negative experiences and attitudes toward mental health nursing, consequently preventing them from having a comfortable and informative experience [ 18 ], and even leading them to avoid choosing psychiatric nursing as a career [ 17 ]. Currently, there is limited evidence of nursing students’ attitudes toward mental illnesses [ 17 – 20 ] and this is while analyzing how nursing students understand mental illnesses and examining their views and recommendations about these illnesses and stigmatization is very important for improving nursing education in the future [ 21 ].…”