Providing Sustainable Mental and Neurological Health Care in Ghana and Kenya Workshop Summary (2016) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
1 Introduction and Overview
1 Introduction and Overview
Pages 1-10
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
. Challenges to MNS care in SSA countries include a lack of trained mental health professionals, few mental health facilities, and low prioritization for MNS disorders in budget allocations.
|
From page 2... ...
. Several current efforts are being made to improve mental health care in SSA and around the world.
|
From page 3... ...
. The goal of this workshop was to identify major barriers to mental health care in SSA and then to develop a series of workshops to address these barriers.
|
From page 4... ...
Challenges discussed included inadequate health system infrastructure, a lack of national policy frameworks for mental health, deficient health information systems, and poor access to medicines. The workshops examined how stigma and a lack of awareness can negatively affect demand for care and treatment, and identified the need to increase the number of trained health care providers who can diagnose and treat MNS disorders in both hospital and community settings (see Box 1-1, Statement of Task)
|
From page 5... ...
• Engagement of key stakeholders o Consider the role of governments, NGOs, the private sector, home health care, faith-based organizations, and traditional medicine in the establishment of an integrated mental health care model. o Examine current policy, funding, and payment practices for each type of stakeholder, including identifying barriers to the development of a sustainable mental health care system.
|
From page 6... ...
. Local experts from each country presented an overview of the health care system and the mental health care system in each country.
|
From page 7... ...
CHALLENGES TO SUSTAINABLE MENTAL AND NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH CARE IN SSA Although Ghana and Kenya differ in many important ways, the challenges they face in the care of people with MNS disorders are similar. Both workshops focused on the same four challenges -- lack of diagnosis and treatment, poor access to medicines, stigma, and inadequate mental health information systems -- and asked participants to identify countryspecific strategies to address these challenges.
|
From page 8... ...
Particularly in the community, stigma prevents people from seeking treatment when they need it, family members may shun patients with MNS disorders, and patients may have difficulty reintegrating into the community. From a workforce perspective, stigma can deter health care providers from choosing to work in mental health, and those who do specialize in mental health are often looked down on by other providers.
|
From page 9... ...
Many participants noted that one of the most effective destigmatization strategies is direct engagement with people who have struggled with MNS disorders, and demonstrating that treatment works -- and that patients can lead normal lives -- can reduce stigma significantly. Inadequate Mental Health Information Systems One pervasive theme at both workshops was a lack of data about mental health in the country: that is, information on the burden of mental health, on how MNS disorders are treated, or on patient outcomes is generally unavailable, said several participants.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.