Syrian refugees' experiences while receiving mental health services and psychiatric nursing care: A qualitative study.

AIM: This study examined the experiences of Syrian refugees in a community centre in Turkiye as they access mental health services and receive psychiatric nursing care. DESIGN: A qualitative design was adopted in the study. METHODS: Data were collected from southern Turkiye between November and December 2021. The researchers conducted three semi-structured focus group interviews. Colaizzi's phenomenological method was followed to analyse the qualitative data. A total of 19 Syrian refugees participated in the focus group interviews. RESULTS: Three key themes related to immigrants' experiences of receiving mental health services and nursing care were identified: barriers to receiving mental health services, coping with negative experiences in Turkiye and satisfaction with mental health services. The participants identified the barriers they experienced while receiving health services as those pertaining to language, discrimination and stigmatization. They also mentioned the methods of coping with these negative experiences in Turkiye. Despite their negative experiences, they expressed satisfaction with the mental health services they received, especially psychiatric nursing care. CONCLUSIONS: This study determined that Syrian refugees face barriers in accessing and receiving mental health services. They stated that mental health professionals in Turkiye approach them with empathy, particularly those in psychiatric nursing. Healthcare professionals may be trained in culturally sensitive care to increase awareness. IMPACT: Studies have frequently examined the experiences of nurses providing care to refugees, but few have focused on evaluating nursing care from the perspective of refugees. Syrian refugees have reported various obstacles in accessing and receiving mental healthcare services. Health professionals, especially psychiatric nurses in mental health psychosocial support centres, must facilitate the processes to eliminate these obstacles. REPORTING METHOD: The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were used. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public involvement.

A Cross-Sectional Survey Study on Homophobia Among Medical, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Other Health Sciences Students.

Since the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community may be exposed to violence, discrimination, stigma, exclusion, and maltreatment due to their sexual orientation while accessing healthcare services, understanding, and improving the attitudes of future's health care professionals toward LGBTI individuals seem essential. This descriptive and cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the homophobia among medical, nursing, pharmacy, and healthcare sciences students and examine the related factors. The study included 2,531 students from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and other health sciences (midwifery, nutrition and dietetics, physiotherapy, management of healthcare facilities) disciplines. Homophobia was measured with the Hudson and Ricketts Homophobia Scale. After getting ethical and institutional approvals, data were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Medical students had the lowest homophobia score, and their mean score was significantly lower than other students. There was a significant difference between students' scores according to years of study, age, sex, acquaintance with LGBTI individuals, providing healthcare services to an LGBTI person, and opinions on providing care. Although homophobia scores of nursing, pharmacy, and other health sciences students were lower than the medical students', policies and expansive content regarding LGBTI should be in place in all health science educational institutes, including medical schools, to prevent students from holding homophobic and prejudicial attitudes against LGBTI individuals.

Under the same rainbow: A study on homophobia and discrimination among private sector health care professionals.

AIM: To determine the homophobic and discriminatory attitudes of health care professionals and associated factors in the private sector. BACKGROUND: Examining possible homophobic and discriminatory attitudes of health care professionals is very important to eliminate barriers such as access to and use of health services. METHOD: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 626 health professionals in 20 private hospitals throughout Turkey. The data were collected in May 2020 using an online questionnaire containing the Hudson and Ricketts Homophobia Scale and the Discriminatory Attitudes Scale. RESULTS: Most of the health professionals (64.4%) said that they did not know any LGBTQ+ people, almost half (44.2%) had cared LGBTQ+ people before, and most (95.4%) said that they would be willing to care them. The health professionals' homophobia score was 3.60 (SD = 1.23), and their discrimination score was 2.10 (SD = 0.71). A positive relationship was found between their homophobia and discrimination scores(r = .642). Significant differences in their scale scores were found to be related to their personal and professional characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The homophobic attitudes of health professionals were above average and had a positive relationship with discriminatory attitudes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Private hospital administrators should plan initiatives and training programmes to improve health care professionals' attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people.

Are Nurses Homophobic? A Survey Study in Public Hospitals in Turkey.

PURPOSE: Studies conducted with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Turkey have found that such people experience social isolation, neglect, insufficient healthcare services, and disrespect. However, no study has been reported related to clinicians' approaches and attitudes towards them. This study aimed to determine the attitudes of nurses towards homosexual individuals and the factors associated with the homophobia levels of nurses. DESIGN: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey study. METHODS: The study was conducted with 449 participants in four hospitals. Nurses who had been working for at least 1 year in the hospitals were included in the sample of the study. The data were collected by using a two-part survey form. The first part was an information form regarding the participants' socio-demographic and professional characteristics, and the second part was the Hudson and Ricketts Homophobia Scale. The data were analyzed using numbers, percentages, means, Cronbach's alpha internal consistency analysis, parametric tests (t test and analysis of variance), nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis) and multiple linear regression. FINDINGS: The study found that most of the Turkish nurses were not professionally homophobic. However, their personal homophobia scores were high. Their attitudes towards homosexuals varied by factors such as education level, acquaintance with LGBTI people, level of acquaintance, and locations of the hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses who work in public hospitals stated that they would provide care for LGBTI people. However, their Homophobia Scale scores were over the mid-point. Subjects related to the health needs of LGBTI people should be included in the curricula of nursing departments and in in-service training at health service institutions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: LGBTI individuals have complained about the reaching out health care services and negative attitudes of health care professionals towards them. Findings of this study provides important data to understand the homophobia level and reasons of nurses to develop in-service education and training programs for coping and changing their negative attitudes.