Psychiatric nurses advocating for the human rights of mental health care users in Gauteng.

Background

Psychiatric nurses play an important role in advocating for mental health care users such as advocating for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of mental health care users (MHCUs). Psychiatric nurses face various challenges while advocating for the human rights of MHCUs, particularly those unable to protect their rights because of the severity of their mental health conditions.

Aim

This study aimed to explore and describe psychiatric nurses' lived experiences in advocating for the human rights of MHCUs in the Gauteng province.

Setting

The study was conducted within the primary healthcare (PHC) setting's mental health services, Sedibeng District, Gauteng province.

Methods

The study employed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design. Three phenomenological focus group interviews were conducted, and audio recorded to collect data. Data were analysed using Tesch's method.

Results

Three themes emerged: (1) advocating for human rights was a strong push and an exhausting plea for psychiatric nurses in their attempts to voice and protect MHCUs' rights; (2) MHCUs and mental health services were discriminated against and excluded by various stakeholders; mental health awareness should be raised and (3) training needs to be conducted as a matter of urgency in order to destigmatise mental illness from government to societal level.

Conclusion

Psychiatric nurses experienced feelings of disempowerment, frustration and helplessness in advocating for MHCUs' human rights.

Contribution

The study's findings will contribute to the body of knowledge in clinical psychiatric mental health practice on advocating for the human rights of MHCUs.

Informations de copyright

© 2024. The Authors.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.