TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose Fighting the stigma of mental disorder is the core focus of nursing teachers closely working with mental health institutions and patients. The sharing of experiences calls attention to common motivations and concerns leading researchers to explore this universal phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the symbolic representation of mental disorder by undergraduate nursing students and to develop an instrument that contributes to reduce stigma.Design/methodology/approach Cross-cultural study, using a quantitative and qualitative analysis and of descriptive and exploratory nature, on the categorization of drawings made by undergraduate nursing students in Brazil and Portugal – to graphically represent mentally ill patients. The research was performed throughout a period of two school years, involving a total of 187 students. All ethical recommendations were considered.Findings Approximately, 50 different symbols were identified and sorted into categories. The most representative ones were “Interrogation” and “The World.” The study makes noteworthy contributions to raise awareness and enhance understanding on how future nursing graduates experience and perceive mental disorder.Originality/value Despite the cultural differences and geographical distance of participants, the study revealed similarities on how mental disorder is perceived. Students have still a little knowledge of new practices, of the profound changes in psychiatry and the major efforts of all mental health professionals to fight social exclusion of mentally ill persons. Drawing is a powerful educational tool to understand how people, namely, nursing students, feel and respond to mental illness.
VL  - 12
IS  - 5
SN  - 1755-6228
DO  - 10.1108/JMHTEP-12-2016-0057
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-12-2016-0057
AU  - Carvalho José Carlos Marques
AU  - Tavares Cláudia Mara Melo
PY  - 2017
Y1  - 2017/01/01
TI  - Nursing students’ depiction of mental disorder
T2  - The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 323
EP  - 330
Y2  - 2024/04/16
ER  -