Barriers to the Utilisation of Mental Health Services at Chainama Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia
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Date
2022
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Abstract
Worldwide, mental health is one of the major determinants of wellbeing of the people in society. However, even with the recognition of its importance; mental health is one of the most neglected areas in the Zambian healthcare system. In Zambia, Lusaka has the best mental health facilities such as Chainama mental health hospital, yet there is underutilization of the offered services at the many facilities; which makes the situation in other parts of the country with poor mental health services at primary health care level even more worrisome. This review aimed at identifying the barriers to the utilization of mental health services at Chainama hospital. A cross-sectional study design was conducted comprising a survey of 40 participants from Chainama hospital in Lusaka. The data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the collected qualitative data. After data analysis, three main themes were developed regarding the barriers to mental health service utilization at Chainama hospital. The developed themes include individual level barriers, facility level barriers and policy level barriers. The created themes explain the various barriers in full details. Equitable access and utilization of mental health services at Chainama hospital is hindered mainly by low funding of mental health programs, lack of knowledge on mental health issues by the people and stigmatization. In order to alleviate these barriers, there is need for adoption of strategies that integrate the mental health policy into the general health policy. There is also need to have an inclusive budget that properly finances mental health programs in various mental health facilities. Consequently, there is also need to sensitize and educate the community on the relevance of mental health issues.
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Research Report Public Health