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Mental health services in Jamaica: from institution to community

Mental health services in Jamaica: from institution to community Purpose – The aim of this paper is to review strategies implemented to improve access to mental health care in Jamaica. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a review of peer‐reviewed articles, official documents, service data and the WHO AIMS data. Findings – Despite limited resources, Jamaica was able to shift from institutional care to community care by implementing the appropriate policy framework, building on primary care services, providing mental health beds at the community level, the training of specialized community mental health nurses (mental health officers) and improving access to psychotropic drugs. As a result, the country has developed a more accessible mental health service; the number of patients treated in the community has doubled over the past decade and 67 percent of inpatients are now treated outside of the mental hospital and there has been a reduction in the population of the mental hospital. Originality/value – The paper illustrates the approach that serves as a model for mental health services in resource‐limited countries. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care Emerald Publishing

Mental health services in Jamaica: from institution to community

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References (26)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1757-0980
DOI
10.1108/17570981111249248
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to review strategies implemented to improve access to mental health care in Jamaica. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a review of peer‐reviewed articles, official documents, service data and the WHO AIMS data. Findings – Despite limited resources, Jamaica was able to shift from institutional care to community care by implementing the appropriate policy framework, building on primary care services, providing mental health beds at the community level, the training of specialized community mental health nurses (mental health officers) and improving access to psychotropic drugs. As a result, the country has developed a more accessible mental health service; the number of patients treated in the community has doubled over the past decade and 67 percent of inpatients are now treated outside of the mental hospital and there has been a reduction in the population of the mental hospital. Originality/value – The paper illustrates the approach that serves as a model for mental health services in resource‐limited countries.

Journal

Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social CareEmerald Publishing

Published: Aug 15, 2011

Keywords: Mental health; Primary care; Access to services; Jamaica; Patient care; Mental health services

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