Abstract
Eight community mental health care centres (initiated by the South-Eastern Europe Stability Pact) in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Romania were evaluated. Characteristics of patients, patient reported outcomes and patient views of care were assessed in 305 psychiatric patients. Patient characteristics varied across centres, with most patients having long term psychotic disorders. Treatment satisfaction and therapeutic relationships were rated favourably. Subjective quality of life mean scores were rather low, with higher satisfaction with health and dissatisfaction with the financial and employment situation. Being unemployed was the only factor associated with poor quality of life and lower treatment satisfaction. Most developing centres target patients with persistent psychotic disorders. Care appears highly valued by the patients. The findings encourage establishing more centres in the region and call for employment schemes for people with mental illnesses.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the managers and staff of the participating community mental health centres for their contribution to the study. We would also like to acknowledge the support of Ms Vesna Puratic and Ms Taida Kapetanovic from the SEE Mental Health Project Regional Office in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Priebe, S., Matanov, A., Demi, N. et al. Community Mental Health Centres Initiated by the South-Eastern Europe Stability Pact: Evaluation in Seven Countries. Community Ment Health J 48, 352–362 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9417-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9417-6