Determination of nurses' beliefs toward mental illnesses

The research was conducted in a descriptive type in order to determine nurses' beliefs toward mental illnesses. The study was completed with 254 nurses working in Gaziantep 25 Aralık State Hospital who agreed to participate in the study. The data of the research was obtained by using the "Personal Information Form" and the "Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale (RHİÖ). Data were evaluated by number, percentage, Independent Sample t test, One-Way Analysis of Variance, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal- Wallis H test, Pearson Correlation test. The mean age of the nurses participating in the study was 35.27±7.74 years. It was determined that 76.8% of the nurses were women, 74.8% were married, 77.2% had a bachelor's degree and 37.4% had 16 years or more professional experience. The mean age of the nurses participating in the study was 35.27±7.74. It was determined that 76.8% of the nurses were women, 74.8% were married, 77.2% had a bachelor's degree and 37.4% had 16 years or more professional experience. The mean BMI scale total score of the nurses participating in the study was found to be 53.69±15.46. The nurses' "Dangerousness" sub-dimension mean score was 23.73±6.23 and it was found to be at a moderate level. The mean score of the sub-dimension "Helplessness and Impairment in Interpersonal Relationships" was found to be 28.14±10.02 and was found to be at a high level. The mean score of the "Shame" sub-dimension was found to be 1.80±2.17, and it was found to be at a low level. It was determined that the nurses' beliefs about mental illnesses differed according to the variables of marital status, professional experience, the unit they worked in, the presence of individuals with mental illness in the immediate vicinity, their feelings towards mental patients, their state of feeling safe when they worked in the psychiatry service, and they had moderate negative beliefs about mental illnesses. Keywords: Nurse, Mental Illness, Belief