Attitudes of primary health care nurses towards mental illness: Brazil-Portugal comparison

Abstract

Objective: To analyze comparatively the attitudes and experiences of Primary Health Care nurses from Brazil and Portugal towards people with mental illness. Methods: This cross-sectional and quantitative study was conducted with 500 Primary Health Care nurses. Data were collected through a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Opinions about Mental Illness scale. Descriptive and correlational statistics were applied using Mann-Whitney and Spearman correlation tests (p<0.05). Results: Brazilian and Portuguese nurses showed positive attitudes by presenting, in the total dimensions of the scale, a score below the mean, 43% and 74%, respectively, except in the Authoritarianism (M=44.6), Social Restriction (M=42.0) and Interpersonal Etiology (M=30.6) dimensions. Compared to people with mental illness, Brazilian nurses had a higher mean. Conclusion: Overall, attitudes in both countries towards people with mental illness are positive, except in the Authoritarianism dimension. Care experiences interfere with the attitudes of nurses in both countries. Negative attitudes should be recognized and deconstructed for the inclusion of mental health in Primary Health Care.