scholarly journals Improving access to mental healthcare for displaced Syrians: case studies from Syria, Iraq and Turkey

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 84-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Hughes ◽  
Z. Hijazi ◽  
K. Saeed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
World Health ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Displaced People

The conflict in Syria has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that extends across multiple countries in the area. Mental health services were undeveloped before and now face huge strain and unmet need. The World Health Organization and others have developed a programme to build capacity in the delivery of mental health services in an integrated healthcare package to refugees and displaced people. The tool used for this is the mhGAP Intervention Guide and complementary materials. In this paper we refer to training in Turkey, Iraq and Syria where health professionals were trained to roll out this community-based integrated approach through primary healthcare. We describe field case examples that show the complexity of situations that face refugees, displaced people and those caught in active conflict. Training improved the knowledge and skills for managing mental health disorders in primary healthcare. Further work needs to be done to demonstrate greater access to and utilisation of services, client outcomes and organisational change with this approach.

The EPA Guidance Project: Guidance for Mental Healthcare in Europe

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
I. Großimlinghaus ◽  
J. Zielasek ◽  
W. Gaebel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Graduate Training ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
World Health ◽  
Post Graduate Training ◽  
Health Organization

Summary Background: The development of guidelines is an important and common method to assure and improve quality in mental healthcare in European countries. While guidelines have to fulfill predefined criteria such as methodological accuracy of evidence retrieval and assessment, and stakeholder involvement, the development of guidance was not standardized yet. Aim: In 2008, the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) initiated the EPA Guidance project in order to provide guidance in the field of European psychiatry and related fields for topics that are not dealt with by guideline developers – for instance due to lack of evidence or lack of funding. The first three series of EPA Guidance deal with diverse topics that are relevant to European mental healthcare, such as quality assurance for mental health services, post-graduate training in mental healthcare, trust in mental health services and mental health promotion. Results: EPA Guidance recommendations address current and future challenges for European psychiatry. They are developed in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) European Mental Health Action Plan.

scholarly journals Reform of mental health services in Eastern Europe and former Soviet republics: progress and challenges since 2005

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Muijen ◽  
Andrew McCulloch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Status ◽  
Policy Statements ◽  
Health Organization

For over a decade, concerted efforts have been made in Europe to reform mental health services and move away from institutions to community-based models of care, supported by international policy statements, good practice examples and research evidence. Progress has been uneven. So what is the status of mental healthcare across the World Health Organization European Region, and what factors support, or detract from, such progress?

scholarly journals The new Ghana mental health bill

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akwasi O. Osei ◽  
Mark Roberts ◽  
Jim Crabb
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Organization

In Ghana, the main burden of ill-health, as in many sub-Saharan countries, consists of communicable disease, illnesses due to inadequate nutrition and poor reproductive health. As these conditions are tackled, other diseases, such as mental disorders and substance misuse, are also becoming the focus of development efforts. In Ghana, it has been estimated that there are 2166 000 individuals experiencing a mild to moderate mental disorder, with a further 650000 suffering from a severe mental disorder, out of a population of 21.6 million (World Health Organization, 2007). In 2003, the country's mental health workforce consisted of 9 psychiatrists (only 4 of whom worked in mental health services), 451 nurses and 160 community psychiatric nurses (World Health Organization, 2003). Currently there are just 5 consultant psychiatrists in active service in the public sector and 11 retired psychiatrists. As just under 33 000 individuals are seen each year in Ghana by mental health services, there is an estimated treatment gap of 98% (World Health Organization, 2007). Most mental healthcare is undertaken at the three large psychiatric hospitals, in the south of the country. This is reflected in the ratio of out-patient attendance to admission, which is 4.64 for mental health, compared with 14.6 for all health conditions (Ghana Health Service, 2005).

scholarly journals Remote care for mental health: qualitative study with service users, carers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e049210
Author(s):  
Elisa Liberati ◽  
Natalie Richards ◽  
Jennie Parker ◽  
Janet Willars ◽  
David Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Remote Care

ObjectivesTo explore the experiences of service users, carers and staff seeking or providing secondary mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignQualitative interview study, codesigned with mental health service users and carers.MethodsWe conducted semistructured, telephone or online interviews with a purposively constructed sample; a lived experience researcher conducted and analysed interviews with service users. Analysis was based on the constant comparison method.SettingNational Health Service (NHS) secondary mental health services in England between June and August 2020.ParticipantsOf 65 participants, 20 had either accessed or needed to access English secondary mental healthcare during the pandemic; 10 were carers of people with mental health difficulties; 35 were members of staff working in NHS secondary mental health services during the pandemic.ResultsExperiences of remote care were mixed. Some service users valued the convenience of remote methods in the context of maintaining contact with familiar clinicians. Most participants commented that a lack of non-verbal cues and the loss of a therapeutic ‘safe space’ challenged therapeutic relationship building, assessments and identification of deteriorating mental well-being. Some carers felt excluded from remote meetings and concerned that assessments were incomplete without their input. Like service users, remote methods posed challenges for clinicians who reported uncertainty about technical options and a lack of training. All groups expressed concern about intersectionality exacerbating inequalities and the exclusion of some service user groups if alternatives to remote care are lost.ConclusionsThough remote mental healthcare is likely to become increasingly widespread in secondary mental health services, our findings highlight the continued importance of a tailored, personal approach to decision making in this area. Further research should focus on which types of consultations best suit face-to-face interaction, and for whom and why, and which can be provided remotely and by which medium.

Correlates of unmet need for mental health services by children and adolescents

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1145-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. FLISHER ◽  
R. A. KRAMER ◽  
R. C. GROSSER ◽  
M. ALEGRIA ◽  
H. R. BIRD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Unmet Need

Unmet need for mental health services among people screened but not admitted to an early psychosis intervention program

2019 ◽  
Vol 204 ◽  
pp. 55-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Edwards ◽  
Ross Norman ◽  
Paul Kurdyak ◽  
Arlene G. MacDougall ◽  
Lena Palaniyappan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Early Psychosis

scholarly journals Understanding barriers to accessing mental health services for newcomers to Canada using Peterborough, Ontario, as an illustrative example

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurun Layla Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Accurate Information

The quality of an individual’s mental health has a significant impact on their quality of life, as well as on the cost to society. Regular access to mental health services can help mitigate the risk factors of developing mental illnesses. This paper examines barriers to accessing mental health services, using the community of Peterborough, Ontario, as an example. Social, economic, and cultural barriers impact help-seeking amongst immigrants, putting them at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The social determinants of mental health can be useful when developing policies aimed at improving utilization of mental healthcare services. Policy makers need to first focus on collecting accurate information on the population, and then developing targeted solutions to eliminate barriers such as language and employment that prevent help-seeking in immigrants.

scholarly journals Provision of mental health services in Nigeria

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olufemi Olugbile ◽  
M. P. Zachariah ◽  
O. Coker ◽  
O. Kuyinu ◽  
B. Isichei
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
The Past ◽  
Trained Personnel

Nigeria, like other African countries, is short of personnel trained in mental healthcare. Efforts to tackle the problem have often focused on increasing the numbers of psychiatrists and nurses in the field. These efforts, over the past 20 years, have not appeared to have greatly improved service delivery at the grass roots. Most of the specialist centres where such highly trained personnel work are in urban areas and for a large part of the population access to them is limited by distance and cost.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document