Induration after intramuscular injection often causes patients distress. The aim of this study was to clarify the effectiveness of muscle exercise for preventing such induration.

Ten inpatients receiving haloperidol injections were separated into an intervention group and a control group. After the injection, the control group received no intervention whereas the intervention group performed 30 repeated lower limb abduction movements to exercise the gluteus medius.

Two of the five patients in each group developed induration. However, whereas the induration was bilateral in the affected control patients, it was merely unilateral in the affected intervention patients. Awareness of pain upon pressure was evident in the control group, whereas the intervention group were merely aware of injection site incongruity. Furthermore, the induration persisted until four weeks in the control group but disappeared within two weeks in the intervention group. The patients in the intervention group had no difficulty exercising, and the nurses had a positive appraisal of such exercise.

These results suggest that exercise to elicit muscle contraction is effective for preventing induration after intramuscular injection.

The objective of this study was to reveal difficulties faced by visiting nurses involved in treating persons receiving forensic outpatient treatment under the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act （MTSA）. Data obtained through semi structured interviews with 18 visiting nurses who did not have experience working in a forensic psychiatric institution. The obtained date were analyzed using Krippendorff’s method of content analysis.

It was found that visiting nurses are faced with the following difficulties: accurately performing assessments and observation as required under the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act; being involved in support, given their awareness of the patients’ repeated past acts of violence toward others; providing support for patients’ societal rehabilitation during life in the community, which is a deciding factor for the completion of forensic treatment; providing support in accordance with the regulations of the forensic treatment system; collaborating with other professionals for cooperative multidisciplinary support; and managing stress related to the limitations of forensic treatment and risks related to acceptance by treated patients.

The nurses’ caution in preventing repeated acts of patient violence toward others when providing care for persons is thought to underlie these difficulties. Further, the nature of the difficulties suggested that the regulations of the forensic treatment system might be influencing the characteristics the issues.

This study aimed to clarify clinical judgment made by experienced psychiatric visit nurses with patients with schizophrenia.

The study used semi-structured interviews with 14 psychiatric visit nurses and also used the Steps for Coding and Theorization method to analyze their responses. Our results demonstrated that there are seven concepts of clinical judgment under three types of context that can be considered essential for patients to continue to live in their communities.

Taking into consideration the characteristics of patients with schizophrenia, including fragility to stimuli and difficulty expressing appropriate symptoms to others, visit nurses appeared to discern the proper relationship with the patient by examining “the state of home visit acceptance” during the early period of home visitation as well as “the distance to maintain a relationship at each home visit.” To judge the proper contexts for home visits, the nurses also used the following parameters both prior to and at the time of a home visit: “discomfort that they appeared different from usual and not themselves,” “the life, psychiatric symptoms, and drug-taking situation of the day,” and “the necessity of medical intervention.” Furthermore, in an effort to better understand patients’ ability to continue to live in a community, the nurses paid attention to parameters such as “rapid coordination to involve concerned persons” and “lifestyle continuation.”

Background and Purpose: Buss & Perry (1992) developed the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) in the UK and verified its reliability and validity. The Japanese version of the AQ (AQ-J) was later developed and used for several interventions in psychiatric nursing. However, its reliability and validity have not been verified. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to verify the reliability and validity of the AQ-J for people with mental illnesses during treatment.

Purpose of Research: To verify the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the aggression questionnaire in people with mental illness during treatment.

Subjects and Methods: This research targeted about 130 adults with mental illness hospitalized in a psychiatric medical institution. The study involved an initial survey followed by a retest after two weeks (test-retest method). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form JYZ (STAI-JYZ) was used to investigate the concurrent validity of the AQ-J version. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Ver. 25.

Results: In total, 115 valid responses were received for analysis (66.09％ response rate). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the AQ-J was 0.91. There was a significant positive correlation at the 1％ level between the STAI and the AQ-J (r = 0.45, p＜0.01) results.

Discussion: As the alpha coefficient of the AQ-J was above 0.70, the internal consistency is considered to be sufficient. There was a significant positive correlation between the STAI and the AQ-J.

Conclusion: The reliability and validity of the AQ-J were verified for people with mental illnesses during treatment.

This cross-sectional study was conducted by questionnaire survey of newly graduated nurses, and aimed to clarify factors associated with reality shock.

A questionnaire consisting of basic attributes （8 items）， SOC scale （13 items）， scale of support from others at work （56 items），and reality shock scale （62 items） was distributed to 472 new nurses. Three hundred eighteen valid questionnaires were received and analyzed.

On multiple regression analysis with the stepwise method with reality shock as the dependent variable, the SOC total score （β＝－0.53）， mental support from a senior nurse （β＝－0.27）， business support from a superior （β＝－0.16）， the highest educational background of nursing vocational school （based at a nursing university）（β ＝－0.11）， and whether the assignment ward was as desired （β＝－0.07） were factors associated with reality shock. The adjusted determination coefficient for multiple regression analysis was 0.61.

SOC had the greatest impact on reality shock, and it was thought that nurses with low SOC require intervention for reality shock and support for improving SOC.

Using a qualitative description research method, this study describes the perceptions of repeatedly hospitalized patients on having a place where they belong. The results of analyzing the interview contents from six patients indicate that their central perception about having a place where they belonged was: “I would like to be able to act according to my own will.” Their behavior was limited by their hospitalization and when they returned to a place where they belonged, they could live at their own pace. However, the participants experienced the reality that they still had to perform housekeeping and money management duties. Nevertheless, they could spend hours in interpersonal exchanges, have peace of mind, visit favorite places, obtain favorite things, and practice their hobbies. In addition, the participants dreamed of new goals and gained energy by achieving their dreams. Meanwhile, while holding realistic anxieties about their future, the participants considered hospitalization as a temporary resting place and accepted the need to live with their symptoms. This study suggested that it is important to share perceptions with them about having a place where they belonged and to be involved so that they can continue living in the place where they belong whenever they wish.

The objective of this study is to examine the actual state of terminal care for schizophrenic patients in psychiatric hospitals, as well as the related factors of nursing attitudes toward terminal care. We conducted a questionnaire survey via postal mail of one nurse per facility in 973 psychiatric hospital facilities nationwide. We collected 142 questionnaire surveys (response rate: 14.6％)， and analyzed 79 with valid responses. The results of the qualitative analysis indicated that nurses in psychiatric hospitals practice nursing while respecting the wishes of the patients and their families, despite having insufficient equipment and manpower. However, this practice is accompanied by various difficulties, such as the psychiatric hospitals being isolated, making them unable to obtain support from other hospitals, as well as nurses having difficulties in confirming the intentions of patients. The study results indicated that nurses viewed nursing negatively because of these factors. Meanwhile, the quantitative analysis indicated that nursing attitudes toward terminal health care are positive, if (1) there are adequate facilities and manpower, (2) there is an emotional support system for patients and their families, (3) there is little anxiety about providing nursing for physical complications, and (4) there is strong teamwork within the nursing organization.

This study aimed to elucidate the difficulties experienced by visiting nurses who provide mental health care for pregnant and postpartum women with high psychosocial risk factors.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted for six visiting nurses, and their responses were analyzed with a qualitative descriptive approach.

Consequently, difficulties experienced by visiting nurses who provide mental health care for pregnant and postpartum women with high psychosocial risk factors were first identified as follows:（1）“difficulty in providing preventive mental health care from pregnancy period” comprising ［stress associated with providing care for the first time］, ［inability to provide care because contact cannot be established］, ［difficulty in getting women to accept care］, ［difficulty in getting women to receive ongoing care］, and （2）“difficulty in providing mental health care for pregnant and postpartum women in various mental states” comprising ［difficulty in establishing a relationship with pregnant and postpartum women who are difficult to communicate with or to create a trustful relationship］, ［difficulty in providing care by involving the family］, ［difficulty in assessment of the woman’s mental state］, ［difficulty in providing support and care for pregnant and postpartum women with mental illness or mental instability］, and （3）“difficulty caused by feeling restless while providing mental health care” comprising ［being unconfident whether the support and care provided were adequate］, ［difficulty in maintaining stability in the emotions of visiting nurses］．