KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF PHYSICIANS AND NURSES TOWARDS MENTAL DISORDERS AND RELATED HEALTH SERVICES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN PALESTINE
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Date
2024-10-23
Authors
Qattawi, Ayat
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Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
Background: The provision of mental health services faces several financial and health challenges, while the healthcare professionals (HCPs) should acquire the appropriate levels of knowledge and attitude towards mental disorders and mentally ill patients, which the current study aimed to identify, as well as the most common demographic and professional factors that related to them.
Method: The study utilized a cross-sectional, quantitative design, in which the researcher recruited a convenient sample of 89 doctors and 232 nurses from private and governmental hospitals and primary health clinics (PHC) in Nablus – Palestine. The study questionnaire consisted of demographic data, Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) and Attitude to Mental Disorders (AMI) tools, which were analyzed using SPSS.
Results: The median age of recruited HCPs was 31 years old (IQR = 8), 46.4% males, 60.4% married, 58.3% of more than 5 years of experience, and 60.1% not received a course on mental disorders. The median knowledge score was 68.42% (IQR = 12.63), with 69.5% having a moderate knowledge level, which was not significantly related to any factor (p-value > 0.05). The median attitude level was 63.70% (IQR = 11.85), with 62.0% having moderate attitude level, and was significantly higher in females (p-value < 0.001), lower income (p-value = 0.002), other social status (p-value = 0.016) and non-hospital workplace type (p-value < 0.001). A significant, moderate, positive correlation between knowledge and attitude was found (r = 0.252, p-value < 0.001).
Conclusion: The Palestinian nurses and doctors in Nablus city have moderate knowledge and attitude levels towards mental disorders. More focus on mental disorders is needed and recommended by the policymakers, health sector, universities and HCPs themselves. Further research is needed in the Palestinian context, including longitudinal and qualitative approaches.
Keywords: mental health, mental disorders, psychiatric disease, knowledge, awareness, perception, attitude, doctors, physicians, nurses.