Abstract :

Purpose: To describes the perceptions of the ward atmosphere of psychiatric hospitals from the perspective of the relatives of people who were inpatients in those hospitals. Design and methods: A nonexperimental descriptive survey was used. Data were collected using the Arabic version of Moos Ward Atmosphere Scale Ideal and Real forms. Findings: Data indicate that even though relatives of Jordanian mental health patients were generally positive about the ward atmosphere, they would like to see changes. Practice implications: By describing their current and ideal treatment environments, participants have provided information that can guide interventions to change the ward atmosphere and thus help foster better patient treatment outcomes.