title: Attitudes and Beliefs of Nursing Students Toward Mental Disorder: The Significance of Direct Experience With Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to analyze nursing students' beliefs and attitudes toward mental disorder before and after clinical placements.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional design was chosen. One hundred ninety-four first- and third-year students in a three-year nursing degree course completed the Attribution Questionnaire AQ-27 regarding Mental Health, the Questionnaire of Beliefs, and a Socio-Demographic Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found between students who had experienced mental illness and those who had not. Differences were also found between students with friends who suffered from mental health problems and those who did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results emphasize the need for nursing students to have direct interaction with people with a mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Genoveva Granados-Gámez, PhD, is Professor of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain.
authors.forename: Genoveva
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Granados-Gámez
authors.affiliation: Maria del Mar López Rodríguez, PhD, is a Researcher in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Del Mar
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: López Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Ana Corral Granados, MD, is in the Department of Psychology, University of Anglia Ruskin, Chelmsford, UK.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corral Granados
authors.affiliation: Verónica V. Márquez-Hernández, PhD, is a Researcher in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain.
authors.forename: Verónica V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Márquez-Hernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attitude; mental health; nursing education; social stigma