Attitude of psychiatric personnel on the treatment of patients, psychometrics and results
Widmer, A.; Gonser, A.; Scharfetter, C.
Schweizer Archiv für Neurologie Neurochirurgie und Psychiatrie 126(1): 135-151
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7273 PMID: 7414303 Document Number: 165449
The therapeutic attitude of psychiatric nurses towards inpatients of a mental hospital was studied. Is there a correlation of nurses' attitude and their view of the patients' behaviour, social attractiveness, and prognosis? Are there differences in the therapeutic attitude in regard to different diagnostic groups? A questionnaire was constructed. Probands were 70 female, 40 male nurses. For every proband there was taken a patient: 70 female, 40 male patients (34 schizophrenics, 15 depressive patients, 15 psychogeriatric patients). The data were evaluated by path analysis and analysis of variance. Patients with more social interest and more psychotic symptomatology were rated as more socially attractive. The more pathologic patient's behaviour in the wards was judged the worse was the supposed prognosis. Dysphoric-morose patients and patients with low social attractiveness provoke an authoritarian and controlling attitude. Patients held as social competent stimulate nurses' attitude towards promotion of dependence and autonomy. The lower social competence and the worse prognosis is taken the more the attitude is inclined to protective control and isolation. The therapeutic value of personal humane communication and direct social contacts is taken for less important when patients seem to be socially inattractive and incompetent. We did not find any difference in the nurses' attitude in regard to schizophrenic or depressive patients. Schizophrenic patients did stimulate more intentions towards propagation of independence and autonomic activity than psychogeriatric patients do. Between male and female nurses we did not find any difference in their attitudes to the (same sex) patients.