Examining mental health stigma among advanced practice nurses

Purpose: Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are ideal providers to advocate for integrated behavioral and physical healthcare to reduce the health disparities that exist among those with mental health (MH) disorders. An identified barrier to effective care, however, is perceived stigma. There is a gap in the literature related to stigmatizing attitudes among APNs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess APNs’ attitudes regarding treating individuals with MH disorders.

 Methods:  A pilot cross-sectional descriptive study (N=31) was conducted via anonymous surveys. Participants provided demographic and practice data and completed the Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS) for three separate MH diagnoses. Higher scores indicated more positive attitudes. The majority of participants were female (92%), Caucasian (87%), and reported <10 years of experience in advanced practice (61%). 

Findings: Only 29% of participants reported feeling well prepared to manage MH disorders. While no statistically significant differences were detected between the three MCRS disorders, mean value for anxiety/depression was the highest (M=41.18, SD=5.84), followed by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (M=38.39, SD=5.79), and substance use disorder (SUD) (M=34.13, SD=5.62). Participants with a personal history of a MH disorder reported more favorable attitudes towards patients with SUDs.

Conclusions: Results suggest stigmatizing attitudes towards individuals with MH disorders may exist among APNs, and lack of confidence in managing MH disorders may contribute to this stigma. These preliminary findings are being utilized to develop a larger study identifying strategies to decrease stigma against those with a MH disorder and increase APNs’ comfort level with managing MH issues.