Females were found to hold a greater open-mindedness and were positive to pro-integration, but they were also fearful and avoidant, more so than males, relative to persons with mental illness. With regard to getting older, as age increased, so did open-mindedness and a pro-integration attitude relative to persons with mental illness; on the other hand as age increased, community mental health ideology decreased. As attitudes of open-mindedness and pro-integration improved, so did attitudes representing community mental health ideology. Furthermore, as fear and avoidance increased, attitudes of open-mindedness and pro-integration increased but also the intention to interact with persons subject to mental illness was improved.

The main purpose for the expansion of supported community care for persons with serious mental illness in Sweden was to ensure the right for these persons to live as citizens in the community. However, earlier research shows that negative attitudes towards mental illness present an obstacle for social integration of persons with serious mental illness. The aim of this study, conducted in Sweden, was to evaluate an existing instrument's (Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness, CAMI), validity and reliability. An additional aim was to adapt and develop the questionnaire to Swedish circumstances. After translation and modification of the original CAMI, the Swedish version of the questionnaire (CAMI-S) was distributed to all student nurses at three different universities in Sweden. The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.90 of the original CAMI-S. A corrected inter-item total correlation excluded 20 items because they showed loading <0.43. The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient on the 20 items (new CAMI-S) that showed loading, >0.43, was 0.903. A factor analysis of these items revealed that the data could be extracted in three factors labelled as: open-minded and pro-integration, fear and avoidance and community mental health ideology. Finally, in order to reach reliable results in attitude research, it is important to measure the respondent's attitude towards the object in common as well as the respondent's attitude to interact with the object. Accordingly, it is important to add behavioural intention items to the 'new CAMI-S'. Statements exemplifying how something 'ought to be' in an impersonal way have a good degree of stability over time and place.

The New CAMI-S came out as a useful tool to screen Swedish attitudes towards persons with mental illness. Most Swedes were prepared to live next to the mentally ill.

The aim of the present study was to describe psychiatric nurses' experience of how the changing focus of mental health care in Sweden, from in-patient treatment to community-based care, has influenced their professional autonomy. Eleven psychiatric nurses were interviewed and a qualitative content analysis was used to identify major themes in the data. Three main themes were found: pattern of responsibility, pattern of clinical judgement, and pattern of control through support and supervision. All themes were related to the nurse's identity, moral responsibility and the feelings of loneliness and independence in his/her daily work. Together, the three themes were found to constitute a process. This study shows the complexity involved in nursing care provided in the patient's home. Achieving control over the patient's everyday life through support and supervision does not imply taking over the patient's autonomy, but rather reducing the stigma attached to mental illness and facilitating the process of rehabilitation.

The main principle directing the development of supported dwellings for persons with long-term mental illness is that to live in the community would improve their quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe psychiatric nurses' experiences of different types of supported dwelling for persons with long-term mental illness, and their views on what they consider to be important principles to provide for in order to facilitate their social integration into the community. Nine psychiatric nurses were interviewed. A qualitative content analysis revealed 'attempting to uphold the principle, respect for the patient's right to self-determination' as the main theme, which was linked to three sub-themes: the nurses' view on their moral responsibility; the nurses' views on social norms that patients must follow in order to be accepted by their neighbours; and the nurses' views on supported dwelling of good quality. The nurses perceived that personal contact between the neighbour and the mentally ill person was one essential way to reduce fear of the mentally ill person. They viewed themselves as a link between the mentally ill person and other neighbours. Without the personal contact between the mentally ill person and the neighbours, there may be a risk that the integration will fail no matter how excellent the supported dwelling is framed.