scholarly journals Towards Implementation of Context-specific Integrated District Mental Health Care Plans: A Situation Analysis of Mental Health Services in Five Districts in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedict Weobong ◽  
Kenneth A. Ae-Ngibise ◽  
Lionel Sakyi ◽  
Crick Lund
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Mental Health Systems ◽  
Situation Analysis ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Care Plans

Abstract Background: Access to quality mental health services in Ghana remains poor, yet little is known about the extent of integrated mental health service provision in districts in Ghana. The purpose of the study was to conduct a situation analysis of integrated mental health service provision in five districts, to inform the development and implementation of tailored district mental healthcare plans in Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional situation analysis was conducted using a standardised tool to collect secondary routine healthcare data supplemented with interviews with key informants across five purposively selected districts in Ghana. The PRIME (Programme for Improving Mental health care) situation analysis tool was adapted to the Ghanaian context and used for data collection. Results: The districts are predominantly rural; more than eight out of ten people in each selected districts live in rural areas. Mental Neurological and Substance use (MNS) conditions were not routinely reported in the top 10 causes of OPD attendance. Across all districts there are severe challenges with the provision of mental health care, primarily because of the slow enforcement of the mental health Act 2012 (Act 846). There are no mental health care plans, supervision of the few mental health professionals is weak and unstructured, access to regular supply of psychotropic medications is a major challenge, and psychological treatments are extremely limited given the lack of trained clinical psychologists. Data on treatment coverage was unavailable but we estimate this to be <0.5% for depression, schizophrenia, and epilepsy across districts. Nonetheless, opportunities for mental health systems strengthening were noted. These included commitment and willingness of leadership, the existence of a district health information management system, well-established network of community volunteers and some collaboration with traditional and faith-based mental health service providers. Conclusion: The baseline data from this situation analysis confirms the widely reported poor mental health infrastructure across Ghana and other Low and Middle-Income Countries. There are opportunities for strengthening mental health systems through interventions at the organisation/policy level, health facility, and community levels. A standardised situation analysis tool is useful to inform district level mental health care planning in low resource settings in Ghana and potentially other sub-Saharan African countries.

Telepsychiatry for the Rohingya refugees (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanjir Rashid Soron
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Need

UNSTRUCTURED Though health and shelter are two basic human rights, millions of refugees around the world are deprived of these basic needs. Moreover, the mental health need is one of least priority issues for the refugees. Bangladesh a developing country in the Southeast Asia where the health system is fragile and the sudden influx of thousands of Rohingya put the system in a more critical situation. It is beyond the capacity of the country to provide the minimum mental health care using existing resource. However, the refuges need immediate and extensive mental health care as the trauma, torture and being uprooted from homeland makes them vulnerable for various mental. Telepsychiatry (using technology for mental health service) opened a new window to provide mental health service for them. Mobile phone opened several options to reach to the refugees, screen them with mobile apps, connect them with self-help apps and system, track their symptoms, provide distance intervention and train the frontline health workers about the primary psychological supports. The social networking sites give the opportunity to connect the refugees with experts, create peer support group and provide interventions. Bangladesh can explore and can use the telepsychiatry to provide mental health service to the rohingya people.

scholarly journals Converging perspectives of providers and student users on extending a patient portal into a university-based mental health service: A qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Gasteiger ◽  
Theresa Fleming ◽  
K Day
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Patient Portals

© 2020 The Authors Background: Patient portals have the potential to increase access to mental health services. However, a lack of research is available to guide practices on extending patient portals into mental health services. This study explored stakeholder (student service users' and health providers') expectations and perceptions of extending patient portals into a New Zealand university-based mental health service. Materials and methods: This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 17 students and staff members at a university-based health and counselling service on an Internet-based patient portal through a software demonstration, two focus groups and 13 interviews. Data were analyzed thematically. Results: Staff and students perceived the patient portal as useful, easy to use and expected it to help make mental health care more accessible. Staff were most concerned with the portal's ability to support their triage processes and that it might enable students to ‘counselor hop’ (see multiple counselors). Staff recommended extension into services that do not require triage. Most students expected the portal to enhance patient-counselor contact and rapport, through continuity of care. Students were concerned with appointment waiting times, the stigmatization of poor mental health and their capacity to seek help. They considered the portal might assist with this. Students recommended extension into all services, including urgent appointments. After viewing findings from initial student and staff groups, staff concluded that extending a patient portal into their counseling services should be prioritized. Conclusion: This research suggests that there is value in extending patient portals into mental health care, especially into low-risk services. Future research should explore opportunities to support triage and appointment-making processes for mental health services, via patient portals.

scholarly journals Mental Health Service in Ghana: A Review of the Case

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
The Government

Mental health care in Ghana has been fraught with several challenges leading to stagnant growth in mental health service delivery and in some cases a severe depreciation in the nature of care. The Government of Ghana pays little or no attention to mental health care in the country, a situation that has led to poor service delivery in the three major psychiatric hospitals in Ghana. The implementation of the Ghana Mental Act of 2012 has also been faced with major challenges with no significant progress being made. This studytherefore sought to review and document the development of mental health care services in Ghana. Specifically, the study examined the various legislations on mental health that have been enacted  in Ghana since 1900; investigated the implementation of the current Mental Health Act of Ghana; found out whether the Ghanaian government has prioritise mental health services in the country and assessed the challenges and problems that confronted mental health services in Ghana since 1900.The study concludes that, since 1888 efforts have been made by various governments to legislate the provision of mental services in Ghana. However, these legislations have not always protected the rights and interest of the mentally ill.

scholarly journals Impact on mental health care and on mental health service users of the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods survey of UK mental health care staff

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Johnson ◽  
Christian Dalton-Locke ◽  
Norha Vera San Juan ◽  
Una Foye ◽  
Sian Oram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has potential to disrupt and burden the mental health care system, and to magnify inequalities experienced by mental health service users.MethodsWe investigated staff reports regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in its early weeks on mental health care and mental health service users in the UK using a mixed methods online survey. Recruitment channels included professional associations and networks, charities and social media. Quantitative findings were reported with descriptive statistics, and content analysis conducted for qualitative data.Results2,180 staff from a range of sectors, professions and specialties participated. Immediate infection control concerns were highly salient for inpatient staff, new ways of working for community staff. Multiple rapid adaptations and innovations in response to the crisis were described, especially remote working. This was cautiously welcomed but found successful in only some clinical situations. Staff had specific concerns about many groups of service users, including people whose conditions are exacerbated by pandemic anxieties and social disruptions; people experiencing loneliness, domestic abuse and family conflict; those unable to understand and follow social distancing requirements; and those who cannot engage with remote care.ConclusionThis overview of staff concerns and experiences in the early COVID-19 pandemic suggests directions for further research and service development: we suggest that how to combine infection control and a therapeutic environment in hospital, and how to achieve effective and targeted tele-health implementation in the community, should be priorities. The limitations of our convenience sample must be noted.

Recovery colleges in mental health-care services: an Australian feasibility and acceptability study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liza Hopkins ◽  
Andrew Foster ◽  
Sue Belmore ◽  
Shelley Anderson ◽  
Di Wiseman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of establishing a recovery college in an Australian acute and community adult mental health service. Very little has been published on efforts to incorporate recovery colleges in inpatient settings other than forensic. This study offers an evaluation of feasibility and acceptability of this service model within a health-care setting. Design/methodology/approach Participant feedback and qualitative implementation data, from an acute mental health-care inpatient ward and adult community care were used. Participants were mental health service consumers and staff. The intervention involved a co-produced, co-designed, co-delivered and co-received educational opportunity for mental health consumers, carers, staff and the community. Findings Feedback from course participants indicates that learning objectives were met by the majority of participants, while stakeholders identified that establishing a recovery college within both the inpatient and community health-care service was feasible at a service level and broadly acceptable to consumers. Originality/value Establishing an adult recovery college in inpatient and community care is likely to be effective re-orientating mental health-care services as well as improving outcomes for consumers.

Validation of the InnoWell Platform: a clinical trial protocol (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Haley M LaMonica ◽  
Lisa Whittle ◽  
Amelia English ◽  
Frank Iorfino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Clinical Staging ◽  
Complex Disorders

BACKGROUND New electronic health technologies are being rapidly developed to improve the delivery of mental health care for both health professionals and consumers as well as to better support self-management of care. OBJECTIVE The objective of this paper is to describe the research protocol for a naturalistic prospective clinical trial wherein all consumers presenting for care to a traditional face-to-face or online mental health service utilising the InnoWell Platform as part of their standard clinical care will be offered the opportunity to use the platform. METHODS The web-based platform is a configurable and customisable digital tool that assists in the assessment, monitoring and management of mental ill health and maintenance of wellbeing. It does this by collecting, storing, analysing, and reporting health information back to the person and their clinicians to enable transformation to person-centred care. The clinical trial will be conducted with individuals aged two years and older presenting to participating services for care, including persons from the Veteran community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTI community, and those from broader education and workforce sectors as well as persons with disabilities, lived-experience of comorbidity, complex disorders, and/ or suicidality. RESULTS Project Synergy was funded in June of 2017 and data collection began in November of 2018 in a youth mental health service. At the time of this publication, 4 additional services have also begun recruitment including 2 youth mental health services, a Veteran’s service and a national eating disorders tele-web service. The first results are expected to be submitted in mid-2019 for publication. CONCLUSIONS This clinical trial will promote access to comprehensive, high-quality mental health care in order to improve outcomes for consumers and health professionals. The data collected will be used to validate a clinical staging algorithm designed to match consumers with the right level of care and to reduce the rate of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and suicide by suggesting pathways to care that are appropriate for the identified level of need while simultaneously enabling a timely service response. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12618001676202

scholarly journals Mental Health Service Use and Perceived Unmet Needs for Mental Health Care in Asian Americans

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Hyunwoo Yoon ◽  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
Min-Kyoung Rhee ◽  
David A. Chiriboga
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Mental Health Service Use ◽  
Health Service Use
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