Development of a Strategy to Promote Terminal Care for Schizophrenia Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K12501
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gerontological nursing
• Research Institution: Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Araki Takaharu 大阪医科薬科大学, 看護学部, 教授 (40326286)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 瓜崎 貴雄 大阪医科薬科大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (20584048)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ターミナルケア / 統合失調症 / 精神科病院 / 看護師 / 態度 / 身体合併症看護 / 体験の意味 / 実践知

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A quantitative analysis revealed that nurses exhibited a more positive attitude towards terminal care when a specialist provided mental support for patients than in situations without such support, and this positive attitude was influenced by factors, including reduced anxiety about nursing patients with physical complications, the quality of facility equipment and staffing, and the strength of nursing organization team. In a qualitative analysis, observational data were collected based on the clinical experience of the study participants involved in terminal care for patients with schizophrenia. Additionally, the participants were divided into four groups based on a questionnaire survey that assessed nurses’ attitude towards terminal care and their degree of anxiety when nursing patients with physical complications. The differences in the terminal care characteristics were analyzed for each group.

Free Research Field

精神看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

精神医療が「入院生活から地域生活中心へ」との基本方針の基にある一方で，精神科病院で人生の最後を迎える統合失調症患者が多数存在し，設備やマンパワーが十分でない中でターミナル（終末期）ケアを行なわざるを得ない現状を踏まえると，当該患者へのターミナルケアの充実に向けてその方略を得るための研究が必要であり本研究の社会的意義がある．
また，精神科病院における統合失調症患者に対するターミナルケアに関して精神科看護師を対象として量的研究で全国規模の実態調査を行なった例はなく，同時にターミナルケアに関わった看護師の体験の意味や実践知を統合的に分析した研究がなかったことから本研究の成果には学術的意義がある．