Analysis of Stigma in Relation to Behaviour and Attitudes towards Mental Health as Influenced by Social Desirability in Nursing Students

Rosa Giralt Palou, Gemma Prat Vigué, Maria Romeu-Labayen and Glòria Tort-Nasarre
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Rosa Giralt Palou: Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, 25003 Lleida, Spain
Gemma Prat Vigué: SaMIS Group, Division of Mental Health, Althaia Foundation-UVic, 08243 Barcelona, Spain
Maria Romeu-Labayen: Adult Mental Health Center Horta Guinardo, Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Mother-Infant Nursing, University of Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Glòria Tort-Nasarre: Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, 25003 Lleida, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: The training undergraduate nursing students receive, both in terms of theoretical input and clinical practice, may help to instil a less stigmatising perception of mental health. To analyse the perceived evolution of attitudes and expected behaviours, a longitudinal repeated measures study was conducted in a population of student nurses during their undergraduate mental health education. The Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale, a Scale for measuring attitudes to the mentally ill among future Health workers, and the Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale were completed. A mixed linear model was used to assess the effect of each factor in the questionnaires before and after the various stages of the students’ training in mental health. The overall effect of each factor was assessed by testing the interaction between factor and group, both with and without adjustment with the Social Desirability Scale. The results showed that the clinical practice stage, due to the proximity to care for people with mental health problems, improves attitudes and behaviours towards mental health in students who have not had mental health problems, and also in younger students. In conclusion, integrated, holistic training during the period of clinical practice was associated with positive changes in the attitudes and intended behaviour.

Keywords: attitudes; stigma; expected behaviour; social desirability; higher education; mental health; nursing students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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