11 General introduction Introduction This thesis is predicated on a specific case that served as the impetus for further investigation into the role of mental health (MHNs) in oral healthcare with respect to patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders. One day, Maaike, a mental health nurse specialist, arrived at the department and encountered a young man of 22 years old, Joshua. Joshua was admitted due to a psychotic episode characterized by hallucinations and delusions, significantly impacting his functioning, including self-care. Maaike noticed that Joshua appears to have neglected his dental hygiene for an extended period. She observed that he has an unkempt set of teeth, and Joshua exhibited halitosis and conversed with his hand covering his mouth. When she raised this issue with a mental health nurse at the department, the response was as follows: “Oral health is not my responsibility as a mental health nurse; the responsibility lies with the client themselves. We focus on the improvement of mental health.” Maaike was surprised by this. She did not concur with these MHNs and raised the issue for discussion during a team meeting, which was attended by all MHNs. During this team meeting, it quickly became apparent that this MHN was not alone in her perspective, but rather, a significant number of the nurses shared this opinion. In light of the diverse viewpoints, it was imperative to initiate a dialogue concerning the responsibilities of a MHN in the realm of dental care. She suggested that additional research was necessary. Motivated by her curiosity, she assigned a student to undertake an initial inquiry by means of an exploratory study. The scenario in our case is not unique. In the following introduction, a general background describes the oral health of people with a psychotic disorder and the role of MHNs, as well as the research questions explored within this thesis. 1
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