Mental Health Care Needs as Perceived by Psychiatric Patients and their Caregivers.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the health care needs of people with mental illness as perceived by patients and health careproviders and to compare patients and careprovider's perceptions of patient's health care needs. The study was carried out at Inpatient Psychiatric Department of Assiut Mental Health Hospital and Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic of El- Minia University Hospital. The sample consisted of 300 mentally ill patients (100 patients from outpatient clinic and 200 patients from inpatient department ) were selected accidentally . Also , 300 relatives were included ( parents, spouses, siblings, brothers, and other relatives) with a major responsibility for the patients. And 72 mental health team who were present in the hospital settings where the reasearch was conducted were participated . Data were collected through the use of demogarphic data sheets for patients and caregivers , educational needs assessment questionnaire and caring needs assessment questionnaire were desigened to elicit the perception of the patients and their caregivers of patient's mental health care needs,also through the use of socioeconomic status scale . The study results revealed that, there was highly statistical signficant difference between perception of patients and their caregivers ( relatives and mental health team ) in relation to different activities which provided by the mental health team members. In addition there were highly statistical significant differences between perception of the patients of educational needs and their relatives, and mental health team Also there was statistical relation between perceptions of the patients in relation to activities which were provided by mental health team and educational needs and their demographic characteristics. The study was recommended the need to assess the actual implemented care and to continuously train multidisciplinary team to fullfil! patients, needs.