Nursing Students’ Perception of the Stigma of Mental Illness

Authors

Abir K. Bekhet, Marquette UniversityFollow
Carolyn J. Murrock, University of Akron
Qiyan Mu, Marquette University
Harpreet Singh-Gill, Behavioral Health Center

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

2017

Publisher

SM Group

Source Publication

SM Journal of Nursing

Source ISSN

2573-3249

Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders are highly prevalent in the U.S. Nursing students’ perceptions regarding the stigma of mental illness will impact the quality of care delivered and the patients’ outcomes.

Method: Data was collected from 64 sophomore students. Five open ended questions were distributed to the students during the first class. All the surveys were collected by a volunteer student and were placed in the instructor’s mailbox in a sealed envelope.

Results: The results revealed three categories: students ‘perceptions of the causes of mental illness stigmatization, their own perception of mental illness, and their perception on how to break the cycle of stigmatization of mental illness.

Conclusion: Nursing students provided insightful perceptions regarding the causes of the stigma and possible interventions. Collaborative efforts to break the stigma of mental illness include: education, acceptance, increasing awareness, and better portrayal in the media.

Comments

Published version. SM Journal of Nursing, Vol. 3, No. 2 (2017). Publisher link. © 2017 SM Group. Used with permission.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Bekhet, Abir K.; Murrock, Carolyn J.; Mu, Qiyan; and Singh-Gill, Harpreet, "Nursing Students’ Perception of the Stigma of Mental Illness" (2017). College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications. 483.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/nursing_fac/483