1990 Federal Nursing Service Award winner. Mental health care and illness knowledge among chronic schizophrenics.
This study examined perceived and actual knowledge about mental health care and illness among chronic schizophrenics, the relationship between their perceived and actual knowledge, and the relationship of knowledge to subject characteristics. Perceived knowledge was assessed with a self-administered 18-item Likert format questionnaire. Actual knowledge was assessed with an interview of open-ended questions paralleling items of perceived knowledge instrument. Perceived and actual knowledge were moderate. Half the parallel items correlated significantly, with weak to moderate positive correlations. Except for age and number of years ill, subject characteristics did not correlate significantly with knowledge. This study has nursing implications for formal and informal patient education.
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Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Reno, CA.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012648:Self Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires