Investigation of interventions on identified problems of people with mental disorders and of families in Community Mental Health Center mobile team works

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims is to identify the problems experienced by individuals with mental illness and their families and to determine the professional interventions made to address these problems during house calls performed by the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) mobile teams. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted between October 2015 and May 2016 at the Community Mental Health Center of a Training and Research Hospital in Antalya. The study sample consisted of 135 psychiatric patients and their families who were visited at home by CMHC mobile teams. An evaluation form was used to collect the sociodemographic information of the patients, the problems experienced by the patients and their families and the professional intervention that was applied. Results: The results showed that more than half of the visited individuals were single and had no income; the majority were unemployed, more than half lived with their parents, and most were from families of low socioeconomic status. In examining the problems identified during the visit to the patient and their family, the majority were associated with the patient’s unwillingness to accept the disease and non-compliance with treatment, social isolation, communication problems with family, failure to take responsibility at home and lack of economic well-being. Included among the professional interventions carried out by health personnel to address these identified problem areas were consultations with the physician of the patient to discuss their non-compliance with the treatment and ways to ensure that they adhere to the treatment and provision of psychoeducation for the family and the patient, economic guidance, and information about CMHC services. Conclusion: From the results, this study concludes that the works performed by the mobile team are important in terms of identifying the problems experienced by patients with mental illness and their families and of providing effective and quick medical, psychological and social services.