Abstract
Involuntary hospitalization for the treatment of patients with psychiatric disorders is a necessity in modern scientific psychiatric practice. Hospitalization, in general, of the mentally ill is an important and complex issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of nurses working in the psychiatric field regarding involuntary hospitalization. In order to achieve this, a questionnaire on “Attitudes and perceptions of nursing staff working in psychiatric clinics and psychosocial rehabilitation structures regarding involuntary hospitalization” was created as a research tool. Results were analyzed with the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25.0. The results showed that the opinions of the respondents are consistent with those resulting from surveys, both in Greece and abroad. The majority agree with the process of involuntary hospitalization, while staff in psychiatric units are knowledgeable about the legislation governing this type of hospitalization. In conclusion, it is necessary to investigate the legal framework that governs involuntary hospitalization in Greece, as well as the conditions that prevail in the hospitals that accept such cases.
Key words: involuntary, hospitalization, psychiatric disorder, mental disorder
