Back to Search
Start Over
A community service doctor's experiences of mental healthcare provision in rural Eastern Cape.
- Source :
- South African Family Practice; 2024, Vol. 66 Issue 1, Part 2, p1-5, 5p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Background: Literature shows that in South Africa there are insufficient resources to meet mental healthcare needs. At general or district hospital level, the non-specialist doctor is often responsible for the holistic assessment and management of mental health service users. Such situations inevitably increase doctors' care load as they are required to treat across disciplines. We highlight the particular challenges faced by a community service (CS) doctor in this context. Methods: The presented case study formed part of a larger project that investigated public mental healthcare provision in the Eastern Cape province. Data were collected through a once-off semi-structured interview with the participant. The interview was transcribed and data analysed by utilising thematic analysis to yield results. Results: The study suggests that the CS doctor experiences being overloaded with duties, and feels overwhelmed in a healthcare context that lacks resources needed for service provision, which may lead to inadequate mental healthcare provision to public health service users. Conclusion: Healthcare facilities in rural parts of the Eastern Cape province are in need of assistance. This in-depth account highlighted the consequences of working on the front line of a disadvantaged and under-resourced health system. The presented account can be interpreted as a cry for help by CS doctors for relevant authorities to improve access and provision of mental healthcare in the area. Contribution: The paper provides an exploration of the circumstances wherein mental healthcare is provided in rural parts of South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- WORK
HEALTH services accessibility
MEDICAL quality control
COMMUNITY health nurses
SOCIAL workers
HEALTH facility administration
INTERVIEWING
JUDGMENT sampling
RURAL health services
SOUND recordings
THEMATIC analysis
HEALTH services administrators
ATTITUDES of medical personnel
RESEARCH methodology
PUBLIC health
CASE studies
PHYSICIANS
EXPERIENTIAL learning
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20786190
- Volume :
- 66
- Issue :
- 1, Part 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- South African Family Practice
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 176667061
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v66i1.5849