Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Mentally ill individuals are among the most vulnerable groups in society, often facing violations of their basic human rights. Nursing students, as future mental health professionals, play a key role in safeguarding these rights.

Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was adopted. Thirty 1st-year GNM nursing students from Aradhya School of Nursing, Jajpur, were selected using convenience sampling. Knowledge was measured using a validated 20-item questionnaire. The intervention consisted of a structured teaching programme based on WHO and National Mental Health Act (1987) guidelines. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t- test, and chi-square test.

Results: Pre-test knowledge levels were low: 56.7% had no knowledge, 30% had low knowledge, and none had high knowledge. Post-intervention, 60% achieved high knowledge scores, and no participants remained in the “no knowledge” category. The mean knowledge score increased from 5.83 (SD±3.57) to 15.5 (SD±3.35), with a mean difference of 9.67 (*t* = 2.10, p<0.05). Significant associations were found between knowledge levels and parental occupation, presence of medical professionals in the family, family history of mental illness, and prior knowledge of human rights (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The organized educational programme significantly improved knowledge regarding the human rights of the mentally ill among nursing students. Incorporating such modules into nursing curricula could strengthen advocacy and ethical practice in mental health care.