Community psyciatry in Nigeria--the current status

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Community Mental Health

Background:

• Psychiatric patient care often faces challenges with long-term treatment and societal reintegration.
• Therapeutic communities offer an alternative model for managing mental health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Aro Village therapeutic community model.
• To assess patient outcomes, including discharge rates and return to work.
• To explore the role of community and family involvement in psychiatric treatment.

Main Methods:

• A 50-month prospective study involving 512 psychiatric patients.
• Treatment within the Aro Village therapeutic community setting.
• Inclusion of patient relatives and local villagers in the treatment program.

Main Results:

• 94.1% of admitted patients presented with psychosis.
• High discharge rates: 57.8% by 3 months, 88.9% by 5 months.
• 70.3% of discharged patients were deemed fit to return to work.

Conclusions:

• The Aro Village therapeutic community model demonstrates significant success in treating psychiatric patients, particularly those with psychosis.
• Community and family integration positively impacts patient recovery and reintegration into society.
• The model's sustainability requires consideration of societal changes like urbanization impacting family structures.