Strengthening the National Health Insurance Bill for mental health needs: response from the Psychological Society of South Africa

Kleintjes, Sharon; Hollander, D; Pillay, Suntosh R; Kramers-Olen, Anne

doi:10.1177/0081246320954317

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…There are growing calls for the integration of mental health services into other primary health care (PHC) [ 10 – 12 ] including the TB programme. Particularly, evidence of increased comorbidity between mental health disorders and TB [ 13 , 14 ], with mental health rates of up to 84% reported among TB patients [ 13 ], has accentuated the necessity for integrated services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary health care nurses’ mental health knowledge and attitudes towards patients and mental health care in a South African metropolitan municipality

2023

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Background In South Africa, there are on-going calls to integrate mental health services into existing primary health care (PHC) programmes such as Tuberculosis (TB). Successful service integration and quality service delivery partially depend on healthcare providers’ mental health-related knowledge and attitudes. The aim of this study was to assess PHC nurses’ mental health knowledge and attitudes towards mental health patients and mental health care. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey involving the distribution of self-administered questionnaires among PHC nurses across 47 clinics. Data on socio-demographics, stigma-related mental health knowledge, and nurses’ attitudes towards people with mental health problems and mental health care were subjected to descriptive and multiple regression analyses. Results Out of 205 respondents, the majority were female (n = 178, 86.8%). The nurses’ median age was 50 (interquartile range: 39–56). Their mean mental health knowledge score was 23.0 (standard deviation [sd]: 3.07) out of 30. Nurses were less knowledgeable about the employment (n = 95, 46.3%), recovery (n = 112, 54.6%), and help-seeking behaviour (n = 119, 58.0%) of people with mental health problems. Professional nurses had a significantly higher mean mental health knowledge score than enrolled/assistant nurses (22.8 vs. 21.1, t203 = 4.775, p < 0.001). Regarding attitudes, the nurses’ mean attitude score was 40.68 (sd: 9.70) out of 96. Two in every five nurses (n = 91, 44.4%) scored above the mean attitude score, implying that they were inclined to have negative (stigmatising) attitudes towards people with mental problems and mental health care. Age (p = 0.048), job category (p < 0.001), and prior in-service mental health training (p = 0.029) made a unique contribution to predicting nurses’ attitudes. Conclusion Gaps were established in PHC nurses’ stigma-related mental health knowledge. A significant proportion of nurses had a propensity for negative (stigmatising) attitudes towards mental health patients and mental health care. Efforts towards integration of mental health into TB services in this metropolitan and similar settings should address mental health knowledge deficits and factors influencing nurses’ negative attitudes. In-service training on mental health should be optimised, with attention to older nurses and enrolled/nursing assistants.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary health care nurses’ mental health knowledge and attitudes towards patients and mental health care in a South African metropolitan municipality

2023

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“…The third sub-theme is the need for prioritised funding for children and adolescent mental health. This recommendation is proffered by the Psychological Society of South Africa in line with the anticipated National Health Insurance in SA [26]. The SA national and provincial health departments allocate extremely low amounts of funding towards mental health compared to general hospitals [30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Status of Integrating Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health Care Services into Primary Health Care in South Africa: Scoping Review

Mokgaola¹,

Gause²,

Sehularo³

et al. 2022

TOPHJ

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Background: Many children and adolescents who need mental health care services in South Africa find it difficult to access these services. The Primary healthcare approach is the foremost strategy adopted by the South African government to improve access to healthcare services in the country. Therefore, integrating child and adolescent mental healthcare services into primary health care should greatly improve children and adolescents’ access to mental healthcare services. Objective: This scoping review aims to explore and describe the status of integrating children and adolescents’ mental health care services into Primary Health Care in South Africa. Methods: This scoping literature review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for conducting scoping reviews. That is, identifying the research question and relevant studies, selecting studies, charting data, and finally collating, summarising, and synthesising the results. The databases used for the literature search were APA PsycINFO, Medline, Sabinet Discover, and Africa-Wide Information. Thematic data analysis was used to qualitatively analyse the findings of the studies reviewed. Results: Six studies were selected for inclusion in this research. The analysis yielded three themes: challenges to integrating child and adolescent mental healthcare services into primary healthcare, the need for healthcare systems to enable integration of child and adolescent mental health services into primary healthcare, and the lack of child and adolescent mental healthcare services. Conclusion: The integration of child and adolescent mental healthcare services into primary healthcare in South Africa is far from realisation. Recommendations are made for practice, education, and research.

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“…In the context of the growing burden of mental illness the call for an expansion of mental health services in low-and middle-income countries was prompted by the landmark 2007 Lancet series on global mental health. A study done in South Africa (Kleintjes et al, 2020) identified eight core concerns related to the National Health Insurance Bill, including the need to: (1) integrate mental health more effectively into the National Health Insurance Bill; (2) ensure equitable access to health services for all people; (3) improve human resources for mental health; (4) clarify accreditation standards and contractual conditions for service providers; (5) improve utilization of private practitioners within an integrated health system; (6) include mental health expertise in the advisory structures of the National Health Insurance Bill; (7) set out a robust accountability framework within the National Health Insurance Bill; and (8) include mental health indicators in the National Health Insurance information system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic Review On Strengthening Mental Healthcare In A Fragmented Health System Through A Sustainable Financing Framework Within Counties In Kenya

Musyoki¹,

Njoroge²,

Mapesa³

2022

IJSRP

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Financing has been highlighted as an important component that underpins the process of sustaining mental health services. This qualitative systematic review aims to identify the financial issues faced by LMIC when offering integrated primary mental health care. Using the PRISMA guide, a systematic search was carried out from relevant studies from 4 online databases, which were filtered according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A quality assessment of the selected articles was carried out using the Critical Assessment Skills Program of the Qualitative Checklist (CASP). Using institutional theory, data was extracted on the basis of a pre-built matrix. The CERQual approach synthesized the evidence and rated the confidence level for 5 key outcomes as low, moderate, or high. Of the 567 references identified, a total of 10 studies were included. Respondents were policy makers or implementers involved in integrated primary mental health care at the national, state, and county levels. In general, the main financial problems identified were lack of leadership and prioritization of mental health; insufficient funding and staff capacity; and negative perceptions / attitudes about mental health. The results imply that these problems must be addressed for the long-term performance of the health system. It can also improve policy formulation for better integration of primary mental health services into the health systems

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Strengthening the National Health Insurance Bill for mental health needs: response from the Psychological Society of South Africa

Cited by 4 publications

References 34 publications

Primary health care nurses’ mental health knowledge and attitudes towards patients and mental health care in a South African metropolitan municipality

Primary health care nurses’ mental health knowledge and attitudes towards patients and mental health care in a South African metropolitan municipality

The Status of Integrating Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health Care Services into Primary Health Care in South Africa: Scoping Review

Systematic Review On Strengthening Mental Healthcare In A Fragmented Health System Through A Sustainable Financing Framework Within Counties In Kenya

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