Nurses’ Attitudes and Stigma about Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

Mia Šimičić; Stana Pačarić; Dragica Pavlović; Marko Babić; Nikolina Farčić; Nika Srb

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2023.11713

Authors

Mia Šimičić Department of Gerontopsychiatry, Neuropsychiatric Hospital “Dr. Ivan Barbot” Popovača, Popovača, Croatia https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0235-3277
Stana Pačarić Department of Nursing and Palliative Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Centre Osijek, Osijek, Croatia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3670-5910
Dragica Pavlović Department of Nursing and Palliative Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5932-0107
Marko Babić Department of Nursing and Palliative Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Nikolina Farčić Department of Nursing and Palliative Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Centre Osijek, Osijek, Croatia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8289-0710
Nika Srb Department of Surgery, University Hospital Centre Osijek, Osijek, Croatia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9587-5413

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2023.11713

Keywords:

nurse, mental illness, attitude, substance abuse

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stigma and negative attitudes can affect the quality of life of the mentally ill and people with substance use disorders. Nurses’ personal attitudes toward mental illness and substance abuse affect the care they provide.

AIM: The aim of the study was to examine the attitudes of nurses toward mental illness and substance abuse.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in March and April 2022 at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital among nurses. The survey was filled out by 100 nurses, 43 (43%) male and 57 (57%) female nurses. The survey consisted of a revised scale for measuring attitudes toward psychiatric patients, the scale of knowledge on psychiatric patients, and the social distance scale. The statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc® Statistical Software version 20.218.

RESULTS: Compared to male nurses, female nurses are significantly more afraid of mental patients (χ2 test, p = 0.01), and estimate that they are aggressive and dangerous for the environment (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.001). Compared to female nurses, male nurses change the way that they communicate significantly more with mentally ill people (χ2 test, p = 0.01, they are especially kind to mentally ill people, so as not to cause unwanted reactions (χ2 test, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Nurses’ attitudes toward mentally ill people are negative, and there is a difference according to gender. Most nurses estimate that mentally ill patients are aggressive and dangerous to the environment and cannot fully feel understanding toward them.

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