Correlates of psychiatric staff's attitude toward coercion and their sociodemographic characteristics.

Abstract

A deeper understanding of the nurses' characteristics that influence their positive attitudes toward coercion is necessary if coercive measures rates are to be effectively reduced. To identify the difference in psychiatric staff attitudes toward coercive measures in relation to their sociodemographic characteristics. The study conducted at the National Center for Mental Health, which is regulated under the authority of the Jordanian Ministry of Health. A total of 85 psychiatric staff recruited from the National Center for Mental Health. A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was used. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which consisted of 15 items that focused on assessing a staff's attitude toward coercion. The relationship between clinical unit and attitude toward coercion was significant (r = -.30; P = .006). Similarly, the correlations between gender-based units and attitudes toward coercion were significant (r = -.38; P = .002). Another significant correlation was revealed with different years of experience (r = .22; P = .04). The more years of experience in the field of psychiatric nursing the more positive attitude toward coercion. Moreover, working with male psychiatric patients and in acute psychiatric units increase the risk of coercive measures use.