Abstract:
Metabolic syndrome is a global issue and one of the most prevalent physical issues found in mental health service users and is now shown to be relatively common across all mental health diagnoses. The syndrome is a combination of medical conditions which can increase the risk of development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome is further exacerbated in mental health service users due to the prescription of second generation antipsychotic medications. Mental health nurses can play an important role in the prevention of metabolic syndrome by increasing their knowledge and confidence of the syndrome and closely monitoring the service user’s physical health. The aims of this study were to explore the level of knowledge of mental health nurses about metabolic syndrome, the educational requirements of the nurses in order to fully inform service users of the risks of developing metabolic syndrome and the potential barriers that hinder mental health nurses screening for the risk of metabolic syndrome. This research was a quantitative study and data was collected through the distribution of a short questionnaire to a convenience sample of mental health nurses working in inpatient units and community mental health centres in a district health board in the Auckland region.The participants in this study hold more positive attitudes towards metabolic screening. The findings from this study however showed that barriers exist. Barriers to screening were found to be mental health nurses doubt about confidence and knowledge level to successfully undertake metabolic screening. Key barriers to the implementation of metabolic screening in psychiatric settings include unclear responsibilities, competing demands on limited resources and issues with accountability. On-going education appears to be the key factor in challenging and eventually changing negative attitudes. Implementation of guidelines and policies can easily resolve the issue of not screening adequately at recommended intervals for service users.
