Mental Health Nursing Report: Impact of Stigmatization on Healthcare

This report examines the significant impact of stigmatization on mental health nursing services. It highlights how discrimination and negative attitudes among healthcare professionals, influenced by factors like education, experience, and the working environment, affect patient care. The report analyzes the behaviors of mental healthcare nurses, differentiating between inpatient and outpatient care settings, and explores the role of contact hypothesis in shaping attitudes towards mentally ill patients. It references key studies to underscore the importance of addressing social prejudice and promoting positive interactions to improve the quality of mental healthcare. The report concludes by emphasizing the need to understand the social discrimination and stigmatized attitudes within the healthcare system to enhance the overall wellbeing of patients.

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
IMPACT OF STIGMATIZATION ON THE SERVICE OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1MENTAL HEALTH- NURSING
Stigmatization is an important issue that affects the healthcare service provided by the
mental healthcare nurses. This, along with discrimination and negative behavior leads to create a
situation that hampers the overall wellbeing of associated patients (Mårtensson, Jacobsson &
Engström, 2014). The working environment has a tremendous impact on the behavior of mental
healthcare nurses towards the patients affected with mental impairments. The purpose of this
assignment is to understand the impact of such stigmatized mental healthcare nurses on the
provision of contemporary mental healthcare services.
The first impact can be seen in case of nursing professionals who have less knowledge,
experience and education level regarding mental healthcare that effect their positive behavior
towards such patient. Further according to Hansson, Stjernswärd & Svensson (2014), it was
determined that mental healthcare staffs working as out-patient care were able to behave
positively to their patient whereas, in-patient care staffs were having negative behavior due to
burnouts. Thirdly, Henderson et al., (2012) determined that contact hypothesis is the prime
reason for the negative attitudes in healthcare professionals and increased communication and
contact has the ability to remove the stigmatized behavior of such professionals towards mentally
ill patients. Further, the working environment has also determined to have impact on the nature
of staff towards mentally ill patients and the difference in their education and knowledge
determines the level of competency and positive attitude for patients. The reason behind this can
be the social prejudice, discrimination and differences that determines social norms and
abnormalities. Therefore, such social discrimination and stigmatized attitude exists between two
different levels of healthcare professionals (Mårtensson, Jacobsson & Engström, 2014).

2MENTAL HEALTH- NURSING
References
Hansson, L., Stjernswärd, S., & Svensson, B. (2014). Perceived and anticipated discrimination in
people with mental illness—An interview study. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 68(2),
100-106.
Henderson, C., Evans-Lacko, S., Flach, C., & Thornicroft, G. (2012). Responses to mental health
stigma questions: the importance of social desirability and data collection method. The
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 57(3), 152-160.
Mårtensson, G., Jacobsson, J. W., & Engström, M. (2014). Mental health nursing staff's attitudes
towards mental illness: an analysis of related factors. Journal of psychiatric and mental
health nursing, 21(9), 782-788.