This study was performed with the aims of determining the perceptions of nursing staff in psychiatric hospitals regarding the causes and treatment of substance addiction as well as their attitudes towards people with substance abuse problems.

This study was carried out with 389 nurses working at 5 state psychiatry hospitals in Turkey. In this study, demographic questionnaire, the causes of drug abuse scale (CADAS), drug abuse scale (CUDAS), attitudes scale (AS), and a demographic questionnaire were used. Independent sample t-test, variance, correlation, and linear regression analyses were used.

In this study, 82.8% of the nurses were female, and the mean age was 33.79±7.58. We found that the demographic characteristics of the nurses did not affect their perception regarding the causes of addiction and treatment (P>0.05); but it did have an effect upon their attitude towards people with substance use problem (P<0.05). Also, it was established that there was a negative relationship between their perception regarding causes of substance misuse and their attitude towards a person with substance use problem; and a positive relationship between their perception regarding substance misuse treatment and their attitude towards the person with substance use problem (P<0.05).

Nursing staff working in psychiatric hospitals in Turkey have the perception that a person takes substances in order to “cope with problems”and for reasons pertaining to his/her “social environment”. Nursing staff tends to indicate a negative attitude towards persons with substance abuse problems, such distancing themselves socially from the patients.