Psychosocial rehabilitation and chronic mental illness: international trends and South African issues

Abstract

Psychosocial rehabilitation of persons with chronic mental illness has received increasing research attention over the past three decades. It is now widely accepted that pharmacotherapy alone is insufficient to treat persons with chronic mental illness. Additionally, there has been a paradigm shift towards the integration of evidence-based rehabilitation models and recovery models, which focus on collaborative approaches to care. This article reviews research findings relating to psychosocial rehabilitation interventions and models, and considers the implementation of psychosocial rehabilitation policies and practices in the South African healthcare context. Challenges to implementation and recommendations are presented.

Experiences of adults with psychiatric disabilities participating in an activity programme at a psychosocial rehabilitation centre in the Western Cape

“…However, there is limited research on the experiences of adults with psychiatric disabilities attending day centres, particularly in South Africa. Minimal research has been conducted in the South African context on mental health care for adults with psychiatric disabilities 10 and even more limited is research on psychosocial rehabilitation in this context 11 . The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of adults with psychiatric disabilities of participating in an activity programme at a psychosocial rehabilitation day centre.…”

A student-facilitated community-based support group initiative for Mental Health Care users in a Primary Health Care setting

“…Such services are supportive, educative, and empowering in nature and could be offered in the form of psychoeducation or group initiatives (Becker, 2010;Sturgeon & Keet, 2010). Currently, there are limited community-based MHC resources available to meet the rehabilitative and support needs of service users (Kramers-Olen, 2014;Morgan & Sherry, 2016). MHC service providers in PHC settings are burdened with high patient loads and insufficient staff, which negatively impact services rendered.…”

“…These may include job loss, unemployment, stigmatisation, social isolation, inactivity, and difficulty with co-ordination, planning, and execution of social engagements (Drake & Whitley, 2014;Gard et al, 2014;Kramers-Olen, 2014;Malchow et al, 2013). Medication alone is not enough to treat mental illness and subsequent challenges.…”

“…Medication alone is not enough to treat mental illness and subsequent challenges. Psychosocial interventions are instrumental in the recovery process and are linked to more favourable health outcomes (Botha, Koen, Oosthuizen, Joska, & Hering, 2008;Kramers-Olen, 2014). Support groups could offer cost-effective psycho-social intervention to meet the social and emotional needs of service users in community-based settings (Becker & Duncan, 2010;KramersOlen, 2014).…”

“…Support groups could offer cost-effective psycho-social intervention to meet the social and emotional needs of service users in community-based settings (Becker & Duncan, 2010;KramersOlen, 2014). Group settings provide opportunities that could improve service users' quality of life, such as social support and integration, opportunities to regain autonomy, and participating in meaningful activities (Drake & Whitley, 2014;Kramers-Olen, 2014). This paper explores the meaning MHC users in a PHC setting attached to a student-facilitated community-based social support group.…”