Paper Title
Public Attitude of Locality in Establishing a Mental Health Facility

Abstract
Mental health is a level of psychological well-being manifested by an acceptable behavior while mental illness is the state of behavioral dysfunction with hidden or visible signs and symptoms. A mentally healthy person can assess himself and others ofthe need forprofessional intervention only thru a mental health facility. In 07 May 2012,Canada reports that one in every four children (1:4)needs psychological help while Japanaccounts for 41% of all disabilities to mental health as of 2016, and on the same year, MOH-Oman annual reports early 5,000 children, up to age 11, treated for mental health issues. ALMasarra is the only tertiary hospital in Oman for Psychiatry with a bed capacity of 245, with general adult, geriatric, child & adolescence and forensic as psychiatry sub-specialties. The ratio of one psychiatry facility against the 4 million papulation in Oman with the rising psychiatric cases needs consideration for putting up another related facility. It is for this reason that this study wasconceptualize and aims to describe the public attitude towards establishment of a mental health facility in their locality. Method utilized in this study was descriptive-quantitative thru a questionnaire consisting of 15 items, two groups of respondents wereidentify, the community group and nursing students, the result of each group were computed employing mean and scaling, the overall results of the two group were then analyzed and compared. The results showed that the community group yield a total mean of 3.47 with a descriptive meaning of slightly positive attitude; this implies that they are accepting the idea of establishing a facility in their locality and know its significance. On the other hand, the nursing student grouphas a mean of 3.10 with adescriptive meaning of neutral; their reply towards the establishment of a mental health facility implies a “not sure” to the idea of a community-based psychiatric facility. They perceived the holistic nursing-care approach across life span relevant to their hospital exposure except for psychiatricnursing. The above result leads to the conclusion that the community group yield a slightly positive attitude while the nursing group arrived to a neutral stand towards the stablishing a mental health facility in their locality.