Mental health nurses' perception of self-harm among people receiving psychiatric care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mental health nurses (MHNs) play an important role in dealing with those receiving psychiatric care for self-harming behaviour. How nurses perceive this group of people is pivotal to timely prevention of such harmful behaviour. This project aimed to assess MHNs perception of self-harming behaviour among those receiving psychiatric care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Descriptive research was conducted with 400 nurses at governmental hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) in the KSA. Data were collected using an online survey and questionnaire: the survey was divided into two sections: one concerned with demographic characteristics of the participants, the second section focusing on their workplace characteristics. The Self-Harm Antipathy Scale-Swedish Revision (SHAS-SR) was used to assess perceptions of self-harm among MHNs. This scale included 19 items categorized into five subscales. Finding showed that more than half of nurses had a low perception of those who self-harmed. Additionally, there was a highly significant association between the nurses' total self-harm perception scores and their workplace characteristics. Promoting person-centred care to those who self-harm through the creation of a collaborative nurse-patient relationship, may improve insight and understanding of the behaviour. Continuous professional development for staff who provide care for those who self-harm would promote better understanding of the behaviour. In addition, workshops, presentations and modelling good practice, are all key for transferring information into real-world applications for MHNs to provide better care for those who self-harm.