Perceptions of Diagnostic Labels in Forensic Psychiatric Practice: A Survey of Differences Between Nurses and Other Disciplines

Abstract

This paper reports on a study of nurses' and non-nurses' perceptions of labels of mental illness and personality disorder in forensic services in the UK. The objectives of the study were to establish if differences in perceptions existed within, and between, the two groups of professionals. The research method was a survey design with 1,200 questionnaires distributed to nurses and 300 to other professionals in disciplines on forensic units in the UK, with response rates of 34.6% and 43%, respectively. The target population included clinical health care staff who had patient contact, including nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists. The results indicate that there are statistically significant differences within both nursing and non-nursing groups and also between the groups in relation to a "management" perspective for individuals labelled with a personality disorder and a "clinical" focus for individuals who are labelled as mentally ill. This paper adds research into the arena of forensic mental health in relation to the diagnostic labels of mental illness and personality disorders. It also adds evidence of a clinical response or a management response to such diagnostic labels which may impact on the practice of forensic psychiatry.

Forensic Occupational Therapy in Canada: The Current State of Practice

“…The findings are also most representative of a hospital environment and may not be generalizable to other forensic practice settings or to those with non‐clinical roles such as administration. However, the response rate of 56% is above the 35–43% rate considered reasonable in forensic mental health (Mason et al ., ), compares favourably with those from other forensic occupational therapy survey studies (e.g. Duncan et al ., ) and may reflect participation by motivated advocates for their profession in this developing practice area.…”

The Impact on Staff of Working with Personality Disordered Offenders: A Systematic Review

“…Nurses considered PDOs difficult to treat and to engage in treatment. They lacked confidence in the efficacy of clinical interventions [ 13 , 24 , 25 , 29 ] and believed that PDOs were least likely to make progress and most likely to drop out of treatment, relative to other patients [ 21 ].…”

‘It's One of the Hardest Jobs in the World’: The Experience and Understanding of Qualified Nurses Who Work with Individuals Diagnosed with Both Learning Disability and Personality Disorder

“…Concerns within this theme were also emphasized by Mason et al . (), who noted that the attribution of a diagnostic label alone can affect staff perceptions towards whether a client is seen as capable of clinical change or not.…”