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“Looking beyond Mental Health Stigma”: An Online Focus Group Study among Senior Undergraduate Nursing Students

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  • Olga Valentim

    (CINTESIS@RISE, Nursing School of Porto (ESEP), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
    Higher School of Nursing of Lisbon (ESEL), Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1600-096 Lisboa, Portugal
    Nursing Research, Innovation and Development Centre of Lisbon (CIDNUR), Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1600-096 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Lídia Moutinho

    (Higher School of Nursing of Lisbon (ESEL), Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1600-096 Lisboa, Portugal
    Nursing Research, Innovation and Development Centre of Lisbon (CIDNUR), Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1600-096 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Carlos Laranjeira

    (Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Polytechnic of Leiria, Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
    School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
    Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), University of Évora, 7000-801 Évora, Portugal)

  • Ana Querido

    (CINTESIS@RISE, Nursing School of Porto (ESEP), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
    Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Polytechnic of Leiria, Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
    School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal)

  • Catarina Tomás

    (CINTESIS@RISE, Nursing School of Porto (ESEP), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
    Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Polytechnic of Leiria, Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
    School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal)

  • João Longo

    (Ribeiro Sanches Higher School of Health (ERISA)–IPLUSO, 1950-396 Lisboa, Portugal
    Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Educação e Formação (UIDEF), Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal
    Núcleo de Investigação em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde (NICITeS), Instituto Politécnico da Lusofonia, 1950-369 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Daniel Carvalho

    (Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Polytechnic of Leiria, Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
    School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
    Hospital Center of Leiria–Hospital de Santo André, R. de Santo André, 2410-197 Leiria, Portugal)

  • João Gomes

    (School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
    Hospital Center of Leiria–Hospital de Santo André, R. de Santo André, 2410-197 Leiria, Portugal)

  • Tânia Morgado

    (CINTESIS@RISE, Nursing School of Porto (ESEP), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
    School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
    Pediatric Hospital, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, R. Dr. Afonso Romão, 3000-602 Coimbra, Portugal
    The Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Tânia Correia

    (CINTESIS@RISE, Nursing School of Porto (ESEP), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
    Ribeiro Sanches Higher School of Health (ERISA)–IPLUSO, 1950-396 Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

Evidence highlights the need for professionals to be aware of their stigmatizing attitudes and discriminatory practices in order to minimize the negative impact on the people they take care of. However, nursing students’ perceptions of these issues have been poorly studied. This study explores the perspective of senior undergraduate nursing students on mental health and the stigma around it, by considering a simulated case vignette of a person with a mental health problem. A descriptive qualitative approach was chosen and involved three online focus group discussions. The findings show various manifestations of stigma, both at an individual and collective level, which indicates that it is an obstacle to the wellbeing of people with mental illness. Individual manifestations of stigma concern its effect on the person with mental illness, while at the collective level they concern the family or society in general. Stigma is a multifactorial, multidimensional, and complex concept, in terms of identifying and fighting it. Thus, the strategies identified involve multiple approaches at the individual level, aimed at the patient and family, namely through education/training, communication, and relationship strategies. At the collective level, to intervene with the general population and specific groups, such as groups of young people, strategies suggested include education/training, use of the media, and contact with people with mental disorders as ways to fight stigma.

Suggested Citation

  • Olga Valentim & Lídia Moutinho & Carlos Laranjeira & Ana Querido & Catarina Tomás & João Longo & Daniel Carvalho & João Gomes & Tânia Morgado & Tânia Correia, 2023. "“Looking beyond Mental Health Stigma”: An Online Focus Group Study among Senior Undergraduate Nursing Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-17, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4601-:d:1088207
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bertil Lundberg & Lars Hansson & Elisabet Wentz & Tommy Björkman, 2008. "Stigma, Discrimination, Empowerment and Social Networks: a Preliminary Investigation of Their Influence On Subjective Quality of Life in a Swedish Sample," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 54(1), pages 47-55, January.
    2. Hatzenbuehler, M.L. & Phelan, J.C. & Link, B.G., 2013. "Stigma as a fundamental cause of population health inequalities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(5), pages 813-821.
    3. Xi Chen & Jingjing Su & Daniel Thomas Bressington & Yan Li & Sau Fong Leung, 2022. "Perspectives of Nursing Students towards Schizophrenia Stigma: A Qualitative Study Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, August.
    4. Concepción Martínez-Martínez & Francisca Esteve-Claramunt & Blanca Prieto-Callejero & Juan Diego Ramos-Pichardo, 2022. "Stigma towards Mental Disorders among Nursing Students and Professionals: A Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, February.
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