Balancing traditional beliefs and medical science: mental health care in Bhutan

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-69
Author(s):  
Damber K. Nirola ◽  
Judith C. Durham ◽  
Kurt L. Kraus
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Gross National Happiness ◽  
Unmet Mental Health ◽  
Poor Management

In the Kingdom where Gross National Happiness is the most precious commodity, there is a growing awareness ofthe individual and communal toll that unmet mental health needs bring to bear on Bhutanese society. Even thoughmental illnesses are becoming public health issue, there is a tendency to neglect the care of mentally ill person in thegeneral setting. The reason for the neglect is due to lack of understanding and poor management of mental illness bythe health professionals and community at large. This article emphasizes the need to balance the traditional beliefsand medical science in order to provide a comprehensive mental health care in Bhutan.

scholarly journals Unmet mental health needs in the general population: perspectives of Belgian health and social care professionals

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Rens ◽  
Geert Dom ◽  
Roy Remmen ◽  
Joris Michielsen ◽  
Kris Van den Broeck
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Epidemiological Research ◽  
Unmet Mental Health

Abstract Background An unmet mental health need exists when someone has a mental health problem but doesn’t receive formal care, or when the care received is insufficient or inadequate. Epidemiological research has identified both structural and attitudinal barriers to care which lead to unmet mental health needs, but reviewed literature has shown gaps in qualitative research on unmet mental health needs. This study aimed to explore unmet mental health needs in the general population from the perspective of professionals working with vulnerable groups. Methods Four focus group discussions and two interviews with 34 participants were conducted from October 2019 to January 2020. Participants’ professional backgrounds encompassed social work, mental health care and primary care in one rural and one urban primary care zone in Antwerp, Belgium. A topic guide was used to prompt discussions about which groups have high unmet mental health needs and why. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis. Results Five themes emerged, which are subdivided in several subthemes: (1) socio-demographic determinants and disorder characteristics associated with unmet mental health needs; (2) demand-side barriers; (3) supply-side barriers; (4) consequences of unmet mental health needs; and (5) suggested improvements for meeting unmet mental health needs. Conclusions Findings of epidemiological research were largely corroborated. Some additional groups with high unmet needs were identified. Professionals argued that they are often confronted with cases which are too complex for regular psychiatric care and highlighted the problem of care avoidance. Important system-level factors include waiting times of subsidized services and cost of non-subsidized services. Feelings of burden and powerlessness are common among professionals who are often confronted with unmet needs. Professionals discussed future directions for an equitable mental health care provision, which should be accessible and targeted at those in the greatest need. Further research is needed to include the patients’ perspective of unmet mental health needs.

scholarly journals Unmet Mental Health Needs in the General Population: Perspectives of Belgian Health and Social Care Professionals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Rens ◽  
Geert Dom ◽  
Roy Remmen ◽  
Joris Michielsen ◽  
Kris Van den Broeck
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Attitudinal Barriers ◽  
Unmet Mental Health

Abstract Background: Many people with mental health problems do not receive appropriate mental health care, resulting in a considerable level of unmet mental health needs. Epidemiological research has shown that some people are at increased risk for unmet mental health needs and has identified both structural and attitudinal barriers to mental health care. However, epidemiological studies may not provide the complete picture and qualitative research about unmet mental health needs is scarce. This study aimed to explore unmet mental health needs in the general population from the perspectives of professionals working with vulnerable groups.Methods: Four focus group discussions and two interviews were held with a total of 34 social work, mental health and primary care professionals in one rural and one urban primary care zone in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. All transcripts were thematically analyzed.Results: Five themes emerged: (1) socio-demographic determinants and mental disorder characteristics associated with unmet mental health needs; (2) attitudinal barriers; (3) structural barriers; (4) consequences of unmet mental health needs; and (5) recommendations for meeting unmet mental health needs.Conclusions: Finding suggest that unmet mental needs are associated with socio-demographic and mental disorder characteristics, and attitudinal and structural barriers. For example, professionals mentioned care-avoiders and difficult access for complex cases due to strict criteria. The high level of unmet need results in feelings of burden and powerlessness among professionals. Professionals discussed good practices and recommendations for optimal and more equitable mental health care provision, which should ideally be targeted at those in the greatest need.

scholarly journals Unmet mental health needs in the general population: perspectives of Belgian health and social care professionals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Rens ◽  
Geert Dom ◽  
Roy Remmen ◽  
Joris Michielsen ◽  
Kris Van den Broeck
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
System Level ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Epidemiological Research ◽  
Unmet Mental Health

Abstract Background: An unmet mental health need exists when someone has a mental health problem but does not receive formal care, or when the care received is insufficient or inadequate. Epidemiological research has identified both structural and attitudinal barriers to care which lead to unmet mental health needs, but reviewed literature has shown gaps in qualitative research on unmet mental health needs. This study aimed to explore unmet mental health needs in the general population from the perspective of professionals working with vulnerable groups.Methods: Four focus group discussions and two interviews with 34 participants were conducted from October 2019 to January 2020. Participants’ professional backgrounds encompassed social work, mental health care and primary care in one rural and one urban primary care zone in Antwerp, Belgium. A topic guide was used to prompt discussions about which groups have high unmet mental health needs and why. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis.Results: Five themes emerged, which are subdivided in several subthemes: (1) socio-demographic determinants and disorder characteristics associated with unmet mental health needs; (2) demand-side barriers; (3) supply-side barriers; (4) consequences of unmet mental health needs; and (5) suggested improvements for meeting unmet mental health needs.Conclusions: While findings of epidemiological research were largely corroborated, some additional groups and factors associated with unmet needs were identified. Professionals argued that they are often confronted with cases which are too complex for regular psychiatric care and highlighted the problem of care avoidance. Important system-level factors include waiting times of subsidized services and costs of non-subsidized services. As a result, feelings of burden and powerlessness are common among professionals. Professionals discussed future directions for an equitable mental health care provision, which should be accessible and targeted at those in the greatest need. Further research is needed to include the patients’ perspective of unmet mental health needs.

scholarly journals Unmet mental health needs in the general population: perspectives of Belgian health and social care professionals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Rens ◽  
Geert Dom ◽  
Roy Remmen ◽  
Joris Michielsen ◽  
Kris Van den Broeck
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Epidemiological Research ◽  
Unmet Mental Health

Abstract Background: An unmet mental health need exists when someone has a mental health problem but doesn’t receive formal care, or when the care received is insufficient or inadequate. Epidemiological research has identified both structural and attitudinal barriers to care which lead to unmet mental health needs, but reviewed literature has shown gaps in qualitative research on unmet mental health needs. This study aimed to explore unmet mental health needs in the general population from the perspective of professionals working with vulnerable groups. Methods: Four focus group discussions and two interviews with 34 participants were conducted from October 2019 to January 2020. Participants’ professional backgrounds encompassed social work, mental health care and primary care in one rural and one urban primary care zone in Antwerp, Belgium. A topic guide was used to prompt discussions about which groups have high unmet mental health needs and why. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis.Results: Five themes emerged, which are subdivided in several subthemes: (1) socio-demographic determinants and disorder characteristics associated with unmet mental health needs; (2) demand-side barriers; (3) supply-side barriers; (4) consequences of unmet mental health needs; and (5) suggested improvements for meeting unmet mental health needs. Conclusions: Findings of epidemiological research were largely corroborated. Some additional groups with high unmet needs were identified. Professionals argued that they are often confronted with cases which are too complex for regular psychiatric care and highlighted the problem of care avoidance. Important system-level factors include waiting times of subsidized services and cost of non-subsidized services. Feelings of burden and powerlessness are common among professionals who are often confronted with unmet needs. Professionals discussed future directions for an equitable mental health care provision, which should be accessible and targeted at those in the greatest need. Further research is needed to include the patients’ perspective of unmet mental health needs.

A preliminary investigation of mental health needs and barriers to mental health care for female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina P. Owens ◽  
Catherine J. Herrera ◽  
Allison A. Whitesell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Mental Health Needs

Coercion in Community Mental Health Care

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Community Treatment Orders ◽  
Improved Outcome

The use of coercion is one of the defining issues of mental health care and has been intensely controversial since the very earliest attempts to contain and treat the mentally ill. The balance between respecting autonomy and ensuring that those who most need treatment and support are provided with it has never been finer, with the ‘move into the community’ in many high-income countries over the last 50 years and the development of community services. The vast majority of patients worldwide now receive mental health care outside hospital, and this trend is increasing. New models of community care, such as assertive community treatment (ACT), have evolved as a result and there are widespread provisions for compulsory treatment in the community in the form of community treatment orders. These legal mechanisms now exist in over 75 jurisdictions worldwide. Many people using community services feel coerced, but at the same time intensive forms of treatment such as ACT, which arguably add pressure to patients to engage in treatment, have been associated with improved outcome. This volume draws together current knowledge about coercive practices worldwide, both those founded in law and those ‘informal’ processes whose coerciveness remains contested. It does so from a variety of perspectives, drawing on diverse disciplines such as history, law, sociology, anthropology, and medicine and for is explored

scholarly journals Patterns of mental health care in a seaside lodging house

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-83
Author(s):  
John Barnes ◽  
Greg Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
General Practitioner ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Local Sources

Much of the medical care of the long-term mentally ill falls to the general practitioner (Wilkinson et al, 1985) and, for example, a survey in Buckinghamshire showed that these patients consult their general practitioner (GP) twice as often as mental health services. Lodging house dwellers are known to show an increased prevalence of major mental illness and to suffer much secondary social handicap, presenting a challenge to helping services of all disciplines. For this reason we chose a lodging house in which to explore further the relationships between mental illness and residents' present contact with their GP, mental health services and other local sources of help.

Mental health care in Belgrade — Challenges and solutions

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (S2) ◽  
pp. s266-s269 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.L. Tosevski ◽  
B. Pejuskovic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Vascular Diseases ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress ◽  
Mental And Behavioral Disorders

AbstractAimTo describe principles and characteristics of mental health care in Belgrade.MethodsBased on existing data, service provision, number of professionals working in services, funding arrangements, pathways intocare, user/carer involvement and specific issues are reported.ResultsDisastrous events in the country and the region caused an increase of mental and behavioral disorders for 13.5% in the last few years, thus making them the second largest public health problem (after cerebro-vascular diseases). The overall morbidity and mortality are on the rise. Intense acute and chronic stress, as well as the accumulated traumas caused significant psychological sequelae, especially to vulnerable people.DiscussionWhilst various issues of mental health care in Belgrade overlap with those in other European capitals, there are also some specific problems and features. Due to prolonged adversities, the health system has deteriorated and is facing specific challenges. However, the transformation of mental health services has been initiated, with a lot of positive movements, such as preparation of the National policy for mental health care as well as the Law for protection of mentally ill individuals.

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