Mental illnesses have always been in constant interaction with individuals, society, family, and the community. Mental health is an important social good that affects the quality of life, human rights, the economy, creativity, and sustainable development, and it is the responsibility of the welfare state to promote it. The lack of knowledge related to mental health represents a public health issue, as the general population often confuses the concept of mental health with mental illness. Nurses spend the most time with patients, especially in hospital wards, where their relationship with patients can be crucial for therapeutic progress. An anonymous survey on the attitudes of the general population regarding mental health and the role of nurses in providing psychological assistance was conducted. A total of 270 participants took part, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The research focuses on comparative analysis (testing differences between groups) and reliable measurement (Cronbach's alpha), indicating that it belongs to the field of quantitative comparative research. The results showed that a significantly higher number of female respondents participated in the study. Most respondents live in urban areas and have completed secondary education. The results also indicated that the majority of respondents are older than 35 years. A large majority of the population believes that nurses sometimes show empathy and understanding towards mental needs during their stay in healthcare institutions. Among other results, it is important to highlight that 48.9% of respondents believe their mental health is good and that they occasionally face mental challenges (48.5%). The discussion of the results confirms the following two hypotheses: the majority of the general population believes that nurses do not lack empathy in supporting mental disorders, and that nurses require additional education regarding mental disorders, given the education level of the respondents.