Stigma towards People with Mental Illness among Portuguese Nursing Students

Stigma is a substantial obstacle when caring for people with mental illness. Nursing students' negative attitudes towards people with mental illness may impact the quality of care delivered and consequentially patient outcomes. In this study, we assessed the stigmatising attitudes and beliefs of nursing students towards people with mental illness and examined its relationship with several psycho-socio-demographic variables. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive correlational study, which was developed with a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 110 nursing students. Stigmatising attitudes and beliefs were assessed using the Portuguese version of the Attribution Questionnaire AQ-27. Results show that the dimensions of stigma with higher scores were help, pity, coercion and avoidance. However, significant differences were only observed depending on the year of study (fourth-year students, who already had clinical placements in this area, are less likely to show stigma), the relationship (family is less prone to show coercion), the history of mental health treatment (students with a history of mental health treatment have more tendency to help) and whether they considered working in the mental health field (students who have considered working in this field are less prone to show anger, avoidance and think of patients as dangerous). Therefore, we conclude that education in a classroom setting alone is not enough to reduce stigma in nursing students, clinical placement in the area is required to achieve such results. It is thus essential to improve nursing curricula worldwide so that students are exposed to both psychiatric nursing theory and clinical practice in the first years of the nursing degree.

Automated summary

Stigma is a significant barrier in caring for individuals with mental illness, particularly among nursing students. This study aimed to assess the stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs of nursing students towards individuals with mental illness and examine its relationship with various psycho-socio-demographic variables. The results showed that nursing students had higher scores in the dimensions of help, pity, coercion, and avoidance. However, significant differences were observed based on the students' year of study, relationship, history of mental health treatment, and consideration of working in the mental health field. The study emphasizes the importance of clinical placements in reducing stigma and highlights the need for improvements in nursing curricula to provide comprehensive education on psychiatric nursing theory and clinical practice from the early years of the nursing degree.