Knowledge and attitude about mental illness among nursing students

Abstract

Introduction: Although recent advances in psychiatry have increased our understanding of psychiatric disorders, many people may be unaware about mental illness and its treatment. The negative attitude is known hindrance to providing quality service to mental ill people. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitude about mental illness among nursing students.

Method: The study was carried out in mental hospital, Lagankhel, Nepal. All one hundred eight nursing students posted for psychiatric posting for two weeks formed the study population. A structured standard questionnaire was supplied to the students at the first day of posting for their responses.

Results: It was a purposive, descriptive study with 108 respondents of age group 15-20 (85.1%). The study revealed that 97.2% of the respondents thought that all mentally ill patients are not mad. The majority had showed their knowledge about cause of mental illness as genetic (78.6%) and biochemical disturbances (97.2%). Respondents expressed their faith in psychiatrist (96.3%) but less in faith healers (19.4%).

Conclusion: This study revealed that there was overall adequate knowledge and by large a positive attitude towards mentally ill people among the nursing students.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v2i1.8573

J Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal Vol .2, No.1, 2013 35-38