Objective: To identify the opinions and beliefs of the health professionals about the psychiatric diseases
Methods: Three hundred and seventeen health professionals working in Sivas Numune Hospital have been included in this descriptive study. The data have been collected by Individual Information Form, questionnaire on psychiatric diseases, and Belief Scale on Psychiatric Diseases (BSPD). Total score of BSPD is 0-105. The higher scores of the scale and sub-scale mean negative beliefs. Percentage distribution, t test, ANOVA and Tukey’s test were used for statistical analyses.
Results: 18.6% of the subjects declared that they had a relative with a psychiatric disease; 63.2% declared that they had problems with people with psychiatric diseases. Half of the health professionals declared positive opinions about the schizophrenia patients; 41% declared that schizophrenia patients were dangerous and might hurt others. The median scores of BSPD subscales: dangerousness 23.74±6.66 (min: 6; max: 40), desperation-impaired interpersonal relations 29.55±9.88 (min: 0; max: 55), abashment 1.76±2.30 (min: 0; max: 10). The median of total score of this scale was 55.06±16.06 (min: 6; max: 100). BSPD total scores of nurses/midwives, high-school graduates, those who declare their incomes and expenses as equal and health professionals with negative opinions about schizophrenia patients were statistically higher (p<0.05). When we evaluated the sub-scales, dangerousness, desperation-impaired interpersonal relations, and abashment scores were high in nurses/midwives, high-school graduates; only abashment scores were high in the subjects aged 20-24 and expenses as equal and health professionals (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Nurses/midwives, high-school graduates, subjects aged 20-24, and health professionals with equal expenses and incomes have negative opinions about the psychiatric diseases. Based on these results, it is recommended that mental disorders and ethical approaches had to be included in the on-the-job programs, and trainings should be planned.