Perceived barriers on mental health services by the family of patients with mental illness.
Rr Dian Tristiana, Ah Yusuf, Rizki Fitryasari and 2 others
PMID 31406803WHAT IT FOUND
Family caregivers of people with mental illness described barriers to services: long distance and transport costs, scarce local mental health staff and medicines, and stigma from self, health workers, and community.
Key findings
01Long distance, difficult transport, and travel costs were reported barriers to accessing mental health services.
02Participants reported lack of local mental health professionals and limited or non-covered medicines as availability barriers.
03Stigma was reported in relation to caregivers themselves, health professionals, and the community.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study reported family perceptions only, not patients' own experiences or service records. The study included a small number of family caregivers from one hospital in East Java, so the themes may not apply to other families. The interview guide was developed by the researchers and was not tested by experts in a clinical setting. The sample did not account for differences in patient illness duration, age, severity, or rural and urban origin. The study could not investigate family burden because barriers may differ between rural and urban participants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the barriers are proven causes of poor outcomes or that any specific nursing intervention will fix them. The study reports family perceptions from a small qualitative sample, not measured effects.