Recognition of Mental Health Problems and Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help in Nursing Students

BACKGROUND: Researchers have documented significant psychological problems among nursing students, but findings have been inconclusive as to whether nursing students are “at-risk” for mental health problems compared with their non-nursing peers. AIMS: This study examined whether nursing students have unique mental health characteristics compared with students from other professions. METHOD: Undergraduates ( N = 18,312; nursing n = 1,399) were selected from the 2016-2017 National Healthy Minds Study. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (depression), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (anxiety), and the Flourishing Scale (positive psychology). RESULTS: Nursing students were equally likely to screen positive for depression and anxiety compared with their non-nursing peers. However, when controlling for gender, age, and year in school, multigroup structural equation modeling analyses revealed that female (but not male) nursing students reported significantly higher levels of specific anxiety symptoms and certain psychological strengths than female students from other professions. Nursing students are equally likely to screen positive for depression or anxiety as their non-nursing peers; however, anxiety disorders may reflect symptom profiles unique to nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest a need for tailored screening and interventions to reduce mental health problems and harness psychological strengths unique to nursing students.

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Level of Stigma among Spanish Nursing Students toward Mental Illness and Associated Factors: A Mixed-Methods Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16234870 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (23) ◽

pp. 4870 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Rodríguez-Almagro ◽

Hernández-Martínez ◽

Rodríguez-Almagro ◽

Quiros-García ◽

Solano-Ruiz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Family Members ◽

Health Problems ◽

World Health ◽

Mental Health Stigma ◽

Cross Sectional

Mental health problems have been identified by the World Health Organization as a global development priority. Negative attitudes toward mental health patients have been documented in multiple health professionals. The aim of this study was to determine the level of stigma and associated factors toward people with mental health problems among students doing their degree in nursing. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach. A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out on a sample of 359 students doing their degree in nursing. Students had to be enrolled in any of the four years of study of the degree at the time the questionnaire was done. We explored the perception and experience of students doing their degree in nursing regarding the level of stigma, through in-depth interviews (n = 30). The mean overall Mental Health Stigma Scale (MHSS) score was 30.7 points (SD = 4.52); 29.5% (n = 106) scored low for stigma, 49.9% (n = 179) showed moderate stigma, and 20.6% (n = 74) scored high. The multivariate analysis showed that 4th-year students had an OR of 0.41 (CI95%: 0.20–0.84) for high/moderate stigma and that 3rd-year students had an OR of 0.49 for high/moderate stigma compared with 1st-year students. We also observed that students with family members with mental health problems had an OR of 2.05 (CI95%: 1.19–3.56) for high/moderate stigma compared with students who did not have family members with mental health problems. The following categories emerged: fear and lack of knowledge, breaking the silence, and integration into society. The levels of mental health stigma in our sample of nursing students were moderate. Stigma levels were lower in 3rd- and 4th-year students (i.e., after having received training in mental health), and in students with family members with mental health problems.

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Role of Stigma and Attitudes Toward Help-Seeking from a General Practitioner for Mental Health Problems in a Rural Town

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1080/j.1440-1614.2005.01612.x ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 39 (6) ◽

pp. 514-521 ◽

Cited By ~ 135

Author(s):

Sarah Wrigley ◽

Henry Jackson ◽

Fiona Judd ◽

Angela Komiti

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychological Help ◽

Health Issues ◽

Perceived Stigma ◽

Professional Psychological Help ◽

Mental Health Issues

Objective: To examine the role of perceived stigma and attitudes to seeking care in predicting help-seeking from a general practitioner (GP) for mental health problems. Method: Across-sectional surveyin 2002 with self-repor t questionnaires assessing current levels of symptomatology, disability, attitudes towards mental illness, knowledge of prevalence and causes of mental illness, contact with mental illness and help-seeking behaviour and preferences and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Results: No significant relationship was found between symptom measures and measures of disability and help-seeking. Variables positively associated with general attitudes to seeking professional psychological help were: lower perceived stigma, and biological rather than person-based causal attributions for schizophrenia. Willingness to discuss mental health issues with a GP was predicted by the perceived helpfulness of the GP and by no other variable. Conclusions: Causal attributions and perceivedstigma rather than participants' levels of symptomatology and disability influence attitudes to help-seeking for mental health issues. Efforts to improve attitudes to help-seeking should focus on reducing stigma and improving mental health literacy regarding the causes of disorders.

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DAHAGA: An Islamic spiritual mindfulness-based application to reduce depression among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Belitung Nursing Journal ◽

10.33546/bnj.1494 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 219-226

Author(s):

Meidiana Dwidiyanti ◽

Badrul Munif ◽

Agus Santoso ◽

Ashri Maulida Rahmawati ◽

Rikhan Luhur Prasetya

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Comparison Group ◽

Health Problems ◽

T Test ◽

Psychiatric Nurses ◽

P Value ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Quasi Experimental

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacts students’ mental health. Most of them may experience depression. Due to restrictions and social distancing during the pandemic, counseling may not be applicable in detecting the problems. Therefore, an Islamic spiritual mindfulness-based application called DAHAGA is created in order to detect and reduce depression. It is believed that this innovative app could reduce mental health problems among students.Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of DAHAGA on reducing depression among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a comparison group pretest/posttest design conducted from May to June 2020. Seventy students were selected using convenience sampling, of which 35 were assigned in an experimental group and a comparison group. The validated Indonesian Version-Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used for data collection. Paired t-test and independent t-test were used for data analysis.Results: There was a significant effect of DAHAGA on depression (p < 0.001). The level of depression after intervention (mean 11.49, SD 4.49) was lower than it before the intervention (mean 17.20, SD 4.94). Additionally, there was a significant difference in depression level between the experimental and comparison groups after the intervention with a p-value of < 0.001. Conclusion: The DAHAGA is proven effective in reducing depression. Therefore, this study offers a new and innovative app that fits with the COVID-19 pandemic to help Muslim students maintain their health status. The findings also support Islamic spiritual mindfulness as a part of nursing interventions among psychiatric nurses to deal with mental health problems, especially depression.

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Delivery and evaluation of the ‘Ride.Life’ mountainboarding program for rural adolescent males

Children Australia ◽

10.1017/s1035077200000742 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 38-45

Author(s):

Evan Kemp ◽

Candice P. Boyd ◽

Damon Aisbett ◽

Lisa Harvie ◽

Kirra Caldwell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Adolescent Males ◽

Psychological Help ◽

Professional Psychological Help ◽

Innovative Program ◽

The Difference ◽

The University ◽

Rural Adolescent

The present study provided rural adolescent males who might otherwise not seek professional psychological help with an innovative program, based on physical activity, which would link them into a wider sporting community. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in bringing about improvements in various areas of participants' mental health.Participants were ten males ranging in age from 15 to 18 years residing in and around the Ballarat area. They were recruited in consultation with the coordinator of the YouthTracks @ TAFE program at the University of Ballarat and were identified as being at-risk of developing mental health problems. Results suggested that participation in the program contributed to statistically significant improvements in some aspects of the participants' mental health. Furthermore, participants reported an enjoyment of mountainboarding and described the difference the program has made to their lives. Findings of this study provide preliminary support for the mental health and social gains potentially obtained when rural youth are engaged in an innovative and enjoyable physical activity program.

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Help-Seeking Attitudes and Distress Disclosure Among Syrian Refugees in Germany

The Counseling Psychologist ◽

10.1177/0011000020974934 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 001100002097493

Author(s):

Pascal Schlechter ◽

Svea Kamp ◽

Katharina Wanninger ◽

Judith Knausenberger ◽

Ullrich Wagner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychological Help ◽

Syrian Refugees ◽

Service Usage ◽

Help Seeking Attitudes ◽

Professional Psychological Help ◽

Wide Range ◽

Distress Disclosure

Many refugees experience a wide range of mental health problems, but typically use mental health services less often than settled residents. Practical constraints like limited access to mental health care and language barriers largely account for this discrepancy. However, little is known about the psychological aspects explaining this difference in mental health service usage, like attitudes toward psychological help-seeking and the disclosure of distress. The present study compares German residents’ and Syrian refugees’ attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help ( N = 384). Refugees reported more depressive symptoms and functional impairment than residents. Crucially, refugees also held more negative attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking than residents. These group differences in attitudes were to a large part mediated by distress disclosure. We conclude that it is important to achieve a thorough understanding of how to address help-seeking attitudes and to encourage distress disclosure to promote treatment of mental health issues among many refugees.

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