Mental Health Review, 11(4), December 2006, pp.32-35.
Publisher:
Pier Professional
The Hamlet Trust, a UK-based charity, has been working to develop a network of grassroots user-led organisations in central and eastern Europe and central Asia since the early 1990s. The Hamlet Trust's Pathways to Policy programme, launched in 2002, has been helping to improve mental health policies and outcomes for service users by inclusive means, with service users beginning to feel they can influence the policy environment. This article looks at the work of the Hamlet Trust, and uses the case study of Albania to illustrate how the Pathways to Policy programme is getting results.
The Hamlet Trust, a UK-based charity, has been working to develop a network of grassroots user-led organisations in central and eastern Europe and central Asia since the early 1990s. The Hamlet Trust's Pathways to Policy programme, launched in 2002, has been helping to improve mental health policies and outcomes for service users by inclusive means, with service users beginning to feel they can influence the policy environment. This article looks at the work of the Hamlet Trust, and uses the case study of Albania to illustrate how the Pathways to Policy programme is getting results.
Subject terms:
mental health problems, mental health services, policy formulation, service users, user participation, voluntary organisations, government policy;
British Journal of Psychiatry, 186(6), June 2005, pp.529-535.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
There has been almost no research into mental health services in Eastern Europe. A pathways study is a quick and useful starting point, requiring few resources. The aim was to improve understanding of prior care-seeking and treatment of new patients seen at mental health services. Pathways diagrams were drawn showing the routes of care-seeking for 50 new patients in eight centres. Patterns of care-seeking, durations and previous treatments were compared for ICD-10 diagnostic groups. The diagnoses varied according to the organisation of services. Major pathways included general practitioners, direct access and hospital doctors. General practitioners have a limited role as ‘gatekeeper’ in centres in Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia-Montenegro, and rarely prescribed treatment, except sedatives, for mental disorders. Findings highlight areas that require attention if aspirations for community-oriented mental health care are to be realised, particularly integration of mental health into primary care.
There has been almost no research into mental health services in Eastern Europe. A pathways study is a quick and useful starting point, requiring few resources. The aim was to improve understanding of prior care-seeking and treatment of new patients seen at mental health services. Pathways diagrams were drawn showing the routes of care-seeking for 50 new patients in eight centres. Patterns of care-seeking, durations and previous treatments were compared for ICD-10 diagnostic groups. The diagnoses varied according to the organisation of services. Major pathways included general practitioners, direct access and hospital doctors. General practitioners have a limited role as ‘gatekeeper’ in centres in Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia-Montenegro, and rarely prescribed treatment, except sedatives, for mental disorders. Findings highlight areas that require attention if aspirations for community-oriented mental health care are to be realised, particularly integration of mental health into primary care.
Subject terms:
medical treatment, medication, mental health problems, psychiatric care, primary care, doctors;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro
Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Care, 3(2), October 1999, pp.42-45.
Publisher:
Pavilion
Mental health service users in the emerging democracies of eastern and central Europe are beginning to make their voices heard. This article looks at self-advocacy and user organisations from former Communist countries, including Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia and Bosnia/Herzegovena.
Mental health service users in the emerging democracies of eastern and central Europe are beginning to make their voices heard. This article looks at self-advocacy and user organisations from former Communist countries, including Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia and Bosnia/Herzegovena.
Subject terms:
mental health problems, mental health services, self-advocacy, service users, user participation, user views, advocacy, empowerment;
Location(s):
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Europe, Romania