Involuntary Admission From the Perspective of RNs and Nursing Assistants at a Mental Health Facility.

The current qualitative research study was performed in a psychiatric hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. The study aimed to identify RNs' and nursing assistants' (NAs) (N = 21) knowledge regarding different types of admission to psychiatric hospitals established by Brazilian legislation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through content analysis resulting in the following theme: Gaps in the Knowledge of RNs and NAs Regarding the Rules for Admission; and five subthemes: voluntary admission and the requirement of having a responsible person during admission; involuntary admission occurring when the family is the one to hospitalize the patient; involuntary admission is the same as compulsory admission; is there involuntary admission?; and the role of the public attorney in involuntary admissions. Results showed deficits in knowledge about the different types of admissions to psychiatric hospitals. Therefore, policies to promote awareness of the legal framework concerning psychiatric treatment should be developed to enable mental health nurses to support patients' autonomy during involuntary admissions. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(8), 42-50.].

Nursing care in mental health: Human rights and ethical issues.

People with mental illness are subjected to stigma and discrimination and constantly face restrictions in the exercise of their political, civil and social rights. Considering this scenario, mental health, ethics and human rights are key approaches to advance the well-being of persons with mental illnesses. The study was conducted to review the scope of the empirical literature available to answer the research question: What evidence is available regarding human rights and ethical issues regarding nursing care to persons with mental illnesses? A scoping review methodology guided by Arksey and O'Malley was used. Studies were identified by conducting electronic searches on CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS and Hein databases. Of 312 citations, 26 articles matched the inclusion criteria. The central theme which emerged from the literature was "Ethics and Human Rights Boundaries to Mental Health Nursing practice". Mental health nurses play a key and valuable role in ensuring that their interventions are based on ethical and human rights principles. Mental health nurses seem to have difficulty engaging with the ethical issues in mental health, and generally are dealing with acts of paternalism and with the common justification for those acts. It is important to open a debate regarding possible solutions for this ethical dilemma, with the purpose to enable nurses to function in a way that is morally acceptable to the profession, patients and members of the public. This review may serve as an instrument for healthcare professionals, especially nurses, to reflect about how to fulfil their ethical responsibilities towards persons with mental illnesses, protecting them from discrimination and safeguarding their human rights, respecting their autonomy, and as a value, keeping the individual at the centre of ethical discourse.