Nurses' perspectives of an environment of optimum mental health: a grounded theory study.

Background: The Government's aspiration to make Kenya a middle-income country and achieve the United Nations' sustainable development goal 3, 'good health and well-being', are threatened by poor quality of mental health services. Environment and lack of a conceptual model of nursing to guide care were some of the reasons that were attributed to poor quality of mental health services. The purpose of the study was to discover and describe an appropriate conceptual model of mental health nursing practice. This paper describes the environment which is one of the metaparadigms of a conceptual model grounded on data collected from Kenyan mental health nurses.

Methods: A grounded theory study was conducted with 33 mental health nurses selected by purposive, open and theoretical sampling procedures. The study sites were level 5 and 6 mental health facilities across the country. Data were collected over a period of 11 months through audio-recorded in-depth interviews and field notes. Analysis was performed using Straussian Grounded Theory steps of open, axial and selective coding processes aided by NVivo version 10. Dimensions and properties of environment metaparadigm grounded on nurses' views were discovered. The study was conducted within the dictates of the institutional and national ethics and research review boards.

Results: Environment evolved as an intervening condition and a supra-system for mental health nursing. A homely environment emerged as a space with properties that nurture optimum mental health contrary to a hostile environment that precipitates mental disorders and prolongs recovery.

Conclusion: Grounded theory methodology was useful in discovering an environment metaparadigm as the context that influences mental health while nursing practice is the central phenomenon for optimum mental health. Nurses can ensure homely environments from diverse cultures and conduct comparative studies on the recovery of patients in the two environments.