Negotiating the Space Between Openness and Rejection - Mental Health Nurses' Attitudes Towards Risk Behaviour of their Patients - A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Objective Personal recovery as a key concept in mental health requests that people with severe mental illness need support in taking positive risks, especially from mental health nurses as key players in this context. In German-speaking countries, studies regarding positive risk-taking seem scarce. Attitude as a concept of social psychology seems to be important to this topic, because it strongly influences the human behavior. Therefore, this study examines the attitudes of mental health nurses in outpatient settings towards their patients taking positive risks and their perception of the institutional position regarding this issue. Methods Four focus group interviews were conducted and analyzed using a descriptive content-analysis approach. Results Three main categories were identified: the concept of risk, the nurses' ambivalence and the institutions' ambivalence. Nurses seem to generally connote risk negatively. Their attitudes towards positive risks can be described as ambivalent, oscillating between openness and aversion and their institutions perceive it similarly. Conclusion Results from other studies can be confirmed. Nurses expect clear position from their institution regarding positive risk-taking and increased support. Guidelines are missing in practice.