Porter Mx Hat
Independent Survivor Researcher.
Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2025 Feb;34(1):e13450. doi: 10.1111/inm.13450. Epub 2024 Oct 22.
This study examined patients' experiences of menstrual health in psychiatric inpatient settings in England as reported by staff and patients. Questionnaires were conducted with 67 staff members and 101 people with lived experience of menstruation and treatment on a psychiatric ward. 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with people with lived experience. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Grouped into overarching themes of institutional and interpersonal environments, four themes were identified: access to menstrual materials; the lack of privacy when menstruating in psychiatric inpatient settings; attitudes and approaches to menstruation; and menstrual support needs and care provision. There was variation among the experiences reported, with some patients receiving dignified care, whilst others described facing 'degrading' and 'dehumanising' treatments and enhanced feelings of shame and embarrassment around menstruation, in comparison with what they usually experience. This appeared to arise due to the interplay between mental health services overlooking menstruation and the overreliance on restrictive practices. These experiences may be understood as menstrual injustices, period poverty, potentially amounting to neglect and posing iatrogenic harms. Participants also discussed how their mental illness and distress, particularly within the context of trauma and/or eating disorders, shaped their menstrual experiences. However, many patients did not receive adequate support in relation to this. Patients' pain and disorder related to menstruation, or gynaecological conditions, was often described as being dismissed by staff or being viewed as beyond the responsibility of mental health services. This study highlighted the urgency for actions to be taken to provide greater support for patients who menstruate in psychiatric inpatient settings.
本研究调查了英国精神科住院环境下患者的月经健康体验，这些体验由工作人员和患者报告。对67名工作人员以及101名在精神科病房有月经经历和治疗经历的人进行了问卷调查。对有相关经历的人进行了10次半结构式访谈。采用反思性主题分析法对数据进行了分析。归纳为机构环境和人际环境两大总体主题，确定了四个主题：月经用品的获取；在精神科住院环境中月经期间缺乏隐私；对月经的态度和处理方式；月经支持需求和护理提供。报告的经历存在差异，一些患者得到了有尊严的护理，而另一些患者则描述了面临“有辱人格”和“不人道”的治疗，以及与他们通常经历相比，在月经期间羞耻和尴尬感增强。这似乎是由于心理健康服务忽视月经与过度依赖限制性做法之间的相互作用所致。这些经历可被理解为月经不公正、经期贫困，可能构成忽视并造成医源性伤害。参与者还讨论了他们的精神疾病和痛苦，特别是在创伤和/或饮食失调的背景下，如何塑造了他们的月经经历。然而，许多患者在这方面没有得到充分的支持。患者与月经或妇科疾病相关的疼痛和不适，往往被工作人员忽视或被视为超出心理健康服务的责任范围。本研究强调了采取行动为在精神科住院环境中月经的患者提供更多支持的紧迫性。
