EC Nursing and Healthcare

Research Article Volume 5 Issue 6 - 2023

Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitude Toward Mental Health Disorders among Students in a West Bank Universities - Cross Sectional Study

Rebhi Bsharat1*, AbdUlmalik Sawalmeh2, Nadeem Abu Wardeh2, Hasan Atiq2, Rozan Abu Arab2, Taqwa Saleh2 and Suha Abu Snina2

1Assistant Professor, Dean of Modern University College, Ramallah, Palestine

2Students Nurse at Modern University College, Ramallah, Palestine

*Corresponding Author: Rebhi Bsharat, Assistant Professor, Dean of Modern University College, Ramallah, Palestine.
Received: April 27, 2023;Published: June 14, 2023



Background: Mental health is a key to relationships, personal and emotional well-being and, contributing to the community or society. A significant medical disorder called mental health disorder affects a person's thoughts, feelings, mood, and behavior. There is a wide range of conditions associated with mental health disorders.

Purpose: To identify perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes toward mental health disorders among students in West Bank Universities.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study that measures perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of 526 universities student using convenience sampling through a 53-item self-administered questionnaire were conducted, chi-square test and the Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to analyze the association between student characteristics and variables. Furthermore, Spearman rank correlation coefficient was utilized to evaluate the relationship between variables.

Results: 88% of students had negative perceptions, 68.8% had limited knowledge, and 81.4% had positive attitudes toward mental health disorders and their treatment. Differences in the experience of speaking with someone who has a mental health disorder were associated with perceptions and knowledge (p values = 0.003 and 0.012, respectively). A positive relationship was found between perception and attitude, as well as knowledge and attitude.

Conclusion: Students demonstrated low knowledge and negative attitude toward mental health disorders. Additionally, most of them maintained negative perceptions regarding the mental disorders. Health promotion about mental health disorders and their treatment must be conducted to increase positive perceptions, good knowledge, and positive attitudes of the students.

Keywords: Knowledge; Perception; Attitude; Mental Health Disorder; Student

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Rebhi Bsharat., et al. “Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitude Toward Mental Health Disorders among Students in a West Bank Universities - Cross Sectional Study”. EC Nursing and Healthcare  5.6 (2023): 30-42.

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