Establishment of the Community Mental Health Centres in Uganda Communities: Challenges and Prospects
Abstract
The establishment of Community Mental Health Centres has been a vital prospect in the area of mental health care. Community mental health centres attempt to shift emphasis away from hospitalization and introduce new remedies to mental health problems. The flow chart method was used in this opinion paper for clarity. Usually, community mental health centres provide short-term treatments, outpatient care, and special crisis intervention or emergency services. There are challenges and prospects the Ministry of Health and other health care providers need to address to find a lasting solution for the establishment and continued existence of these centres in Uganda. The employment of healthcare professionals that will guarantee quality assurance and effective healthcare delivery in these centres is very necessary. The challenges of professional discrimination also need to be effectively addressed in order to have an enduring therapeutic milieu for mentally challenged patients. Recommendations were made that the Ugandan government through her Ministry of Health should establish and provide community health centres and halfway homes for the emergency and effective treatments of mentally challenged individuals.
Downloads
References
Spielberger, C.D., & Stenmark, D.E. (1985). Community Psychology. In E.M. Altmaier & M.E.
Meyer (Eds), Applied Specialties in Psychology (pp 75-98). New York Random House.
Levine, J.M., Resnick, L.B., & Higgins, E.T., (1993). Social foundations of cognition. Animal Review of Psychology, 44, 585-612.
Conn, D. (1997). Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application. Seventh edition.
Opio, J.N., Mum, Z & Aromataris, E. (2021). Prevalence of Mental Disorders in Uganda: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychiatric Quarterly 93, 199- 226.
Shah, A., Wheeler L., Session K., Kuule, Y., Agba E., Merry, S.P. (2017). Community perception of mental illness challenges facing the Bwindi Mental Health programme. PHCFM/ African Journal of Primary Health & Family Medicine AOSIS/Publishing Vol 9, No 1 (2017).
Kigozi F. (2005). Mental health services in Uganda. International psychiatry: bulletin of the Board of International Affairs of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2(7), 15–18.
Abamara, N.C. (2022). Importance of halfway homes in Community Mental Health Centers.
Unpublished seminar paper, in the Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, Faculty of Clinical Medicine Kampala International University, Western Campus.
Zuckerman, E. (2003). Finding, evaluating, and incorporating Internet self-help resources into Psychotherapy practice. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59, 217-225.
Davidson, R.J., Jackson D.C., & Kalin, N.H. (2000). Emotion, plasticity, context, and regulation: Perspectives for affective neuroscience. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 890-909.
Riessman, F. (1997). Ten self-help principles. Social Policy, 27, 6-11.
Schiff, M., & Bargal, D. (2000). Helping characteristics of self-help and support groups: There Contribution to participants’ subjective well-being. Small Group Research, 31, 275-304.
Morgenstern, J., Labouvine, E., McCrady, B.S., Kahler, C.W., & Frey, R.M. (1997). Affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous after treatment: A study of its therapeutic effects and Mechanism of action. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 768-777.
Keynejad, R.C., Spagnolo J., Thornicroft, G. (2022). Mental healthcare in primary and Community-based setting: evidence beyond the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP). Intervention Guide. Evidence-Based Mental Health. O: 1-7. doi: 10.1136/mental-2021-300401.
Fobair, P. (1997). Cancer support groups and group therapies. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 15, 43-81.
LeGrand, L.E. (1991). United We Cope Support groups for the dying and bereaved. Death Studies, 15, 207-230
Copyright (c) 2023 Nnaemeka Chukwudum Abamara, Onyekachi Osmond Okonkwo, Cynthia Nwanneka Udeze
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
