Effect of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Curriculum on Students' Attitude Towards Mental Illness

Abstract

It is widely recognized that people with mental illness are stigmatized in the general population. Such attitudes may affect their lives in many ways, posing both functional challenges and psychological distress extending beyond that caused by their symptoms and other direct manifestations of illness. Several studies have suggested that more stigmatizing attitudes can reduce the access of people with mental illness to employment, education, social supports and marriage, and both lower self-esteem and interfere in their search for professional assistance. Nurses play a key role in caring for the mentally ill in sickness and in rehabilitation the mentally ill after an episode of illness. In addition, majority of patients and their families who are seeking help for their mental illness rightfully expect the hospital and nursing staff to be cognizant of their needs and treat them as unique individuals without any prejudice and discrimination. The attitudes and knowledge of the health professionals on mental illness have been argued to be a major determinant of the quality and outcome of care for mentally ill patient. Nursing students starting the nursing course bring with them stereotypes and prejudice in relation to mentally-ill people, thus show lack of knowledge as to their possibilities of recovery and social living. Nursing