The majority of literature and research suggests that community-based services are effective and guided by evidence-based principles. However, in practice, community-based services are still only sparsely used for providing mental health treatment and care. Many countries classified as having low to middle socioeconomic status have limited mental health funds, and those funds are put toward managed care in hospital settings, rather than in preventive or community-based care, resulting in the maintaining of an institutionalized form of care. In 2014, the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse conducted a survey of experts in mental health to discern potential barriers to the use of community-based services in these countries. Approximately 78 mental health experts in 42 countries agreed to participate in a survey related to the usefulness of different community-based mental health service approaches to care.
In Box 1, Historical Country Examples of Poor-Quality Institutional Care, how many hospitals had clinical psychologists and psychiatric social workers on staff for patient care?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Question
2
Which of the following NOT an identified principle for deinstitutionalization?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which of the following is not an identified principle for deinstitutionalization?
Question
3
According to the main findings of the survey of experts, which of the following was NOT rated in the top five useful methods of downsizing institutional care?
A.
B.
C.
D.
According to the main findings of the survey of experts, which of the following was not rated in the top five useful methods of downsizing institutional care?
Question
4
The main form of data collection in this study was an electronic survey of mental health professionals. What are some potential disadvantages of such a method? What are the benefits of this form of data collection?
Answers will vary. One possibility: A potential disadvantage to this form of data collection is a poorer response rate, as some mental health professionals receive dozens of electronic data requests daily. A potential benefit of this form of data collection is a quick response and easy access to materials by professionals all over the world.
Question
5
Many of the institutional care facilities in countries with low to middle socioeconomic status are described as inhumane and are in violation of a number of human rights in the description in Box 1 of the article. Briefly identify one such example in the survey report and discuss at least three factors related to the quality of care noted in the Qualitative Results section of the report.
Answers will vary. One possibility: In the Accra Psychiatric Hospital in Ghana there are 300 men in cells designed for 50 men, there is no access to treatment, the staff is not trained, and patients are frequently beaten.
Note: Web links in this activity lead you to external sites. Some URLs change frequently and may appear as broken links. If you encounter a broken link, try searching for the article or organization in your Web browser or click here to see if a replacement link is provided. To report a broken link, contact technical support through the help option in LaunchPad.