Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Personal Contact On Attitudes Toward Mental Illness In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Jessica Ashe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Many people who suffer from serious mental illness also suffer from the stigma associated with such illness. Because nurses frequently come into contact with the mentally ill, it is important that they do not stigmatize these individuals. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a guest lecture by an individual with a serious mental illness on attitudes about mental illness in a sample of baccalaureate nursing students. The theoretical framework that guides this study is Goffman’s (1963) theory of social stigma. The sample used for this research is a convenience sample of 50 junior level nursing …