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Restructuring mental health: a South American survey
1Department of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
|August 23, 2001
Summary
South American mental health services are shifting from large hospitals to decentralized care, including psychiatric units in general hospitals (PUGH). However, resource allocation for these new models requires significant improvement.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Psychiatry
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Limited data exists on mental health service evolution in South America post-political shifts.
- Recent decades saw significant social and political changes impacting healthcare systems across South America.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the development of mental health programs in South America.
- To examine the organization of alternative psychiatric care, specifically psychiatric units in general hospitals (PUGH).
Main Methods:
- A postal survey was distributed to health ministries, psychiatric associations, and key informants across South American nations.
- The survey focused on the progress of mental health initiatives and the establishment of PUGH.
Main Results:
- Mental health programs, largely developed in the 1980s-1990s, aimed to integrate psychiatric care into primary healthcare and decentralize services.
- A trend towards reducing overall psychiatric beds (under 0.5 per 1000 inhabitants) and increasing PUGH was observed, with significant growth in some nations.
- Despite increased PUGH, essential human and material resources have not kept pace with this expansion.
Conclusions:
- South American countries are transitioning from large mental hospitals to alternative care models.
- There is a critical need for enhanced data collection, dissemination, and monitoring of mental health program development and outcomes in the region.