Nurses’ perception regarding barriers of palliative care provision for people with severe mental illness: A qualitative study

Abstract

It has been postulated that a palliative approach in psychiatric ward has the potential to increase the quality of care for people with severe mental illness (SMI). This study aimed to explain nurses’ perception about barriers to provision of palliative care for people with SMI. In this qualitative content analysis study, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with 26 Iranian nurses. Two categories and four subcategories were formed. The categories included poor organizational and professional infrastructure, and inadequate patient/family follow-up system. The first category includes lack of specialists who provide palliative care, lack of palliative wards, and lack of teamwork. The second category contained erroneous cultural beliefs and lack of attention to the role of family. The society must deal with the cultural taboos associated with mental illness through cultural-based interventions. Furthermore, attention should be paid to the role of families in palliative care. The health system should try to build relevant palliative care units to facilitate the provision of it for people with SMI.