Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015

AimThis study attempted to analyse the potential of two primary sources of mental health service delivery at a grassroots level, religious/faith healers and community/lady health workers, and how they can be effectively used to deliver mental health services in a resource-scarce country like Pakista...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tahir Mahmood Ali, Sana Gul
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PsychOpen 2018-08-01
Series:Psychology, Community & Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://pch.psychopen.eu/article/view/224
id doaj-05d256c2eb354a72b2da2ea31402fa24
record_format Article
spelling doaj-05d256c2eb354a72b2da2ea31402fa242020-11-25T02:54:28ZengPsychOpenPsychology, Community & Health2182-438X2018-08-0171577110.5964/pch.v7i1.224pch.v7i1.224Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015Tahir Mahmood Ali0Sana Gul1College of Health & Human Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, AustraliaDepartment of Administrative Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan, PakistanAimThis study attempted to analyse the potential of two primary sources of mental health service delivery at a grassroots level, religious/faith healers and community/lady health workers, and how they can be effectively used to deliver mental health services in a resource-scarce country like Pakistan.MethodA literature review was carried out for relevant studies conducted in Muslim countries between 2000 to 2015 reporting empirical results. Using the inclusion criteria, thirteen studies were selected for the review.ResultsThe presented studies suggest that the main proportion of mental health patients in countries with major Muslim population including Pakistan, visit religious/faith healers first for treatment, however all studies are silent about the outcomes through these healers. The only potential visible outcome of contacting religious/faith healers is the identification of mental health cases. However, community/lady health workers with minimal training appeared to be a beneficial source of mental health service delivery in communities.ConclusionIn a resource scarce country like Pakistan, networking with religious/faith healers can be established for effective identification and referral of mental health cases whereas strong and already existing community/lady health workers system can be used as a first level to deliver mental health service at the doorstep.http://pch.psychopen.eu/article/view/224mental healthreligious/faith healerscommunity/lady health workerslow and middle- income countries
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Tahir Mahmood Ali
Sana Gul
spellingShingle Tahir Mahmood Ali
Sana Gul
Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015
Psychology, Community & Health
mental health
religious/faith healers
community/lady health workers
low and middle- income countries
author_facet Tahir Mahmood Ali
Sana Gul
author_sort Tahir Mahmood Ali
title Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015
title_short Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015
title_full Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015
title_fullStr Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015
title_full_unstemmed Community Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Review Study From Muslim World 2000-2015
title_sort community mental health services in pakistan: review study from muslim world 2000-2015
publisher PsychOpen
series Psychology, Community & Health
issn 2182-438X
publishDate 2018-08-01
description AimThis study attempted to analyse the potential of two primary sources of mental health service delivery at a grassroots level, religious/faith healers and community/lady health workers, and how they can be effectively used to deliver mental health services in a resource-scarce country like Pakistan.MethodA literature review was carried out for relevant studies conducted in Muslim countries between 2000 to 2015 reporting empirical results. Using the inclusion criteria, thirteen studies were selected for the review.ResultsThe presented studies suggest that the main proportion of mental health patients in countries with major Muslim population including Pakistan, visit religious/faith healers first for treatment, however all studies are silent about the outcomes through these healers. The only potential visible outcome of contacting religious/faith healers is the identification of mental health cases. However, community/lady health workers with minimal training appeared to be a beneficial source of mental health service delivery in communities.ConclusionIn a resource scarce country like Pakistan, networking with religious/faith healers can be established for effective identification and referral of mental health cases whereas strong and already existing community/lady health workers system can be used as a first level to deliver mental health service at the doorstep.
topic mental health
religious/faith healers
community/lady health workers
low and middle- income countries
url http://pch.psychopen.eu/article/view/224
work_keys_str_mv AT tahirmahmoodali communitymentalhealthservicesinpakistanreviewstudyfrommuslimworld20002015
AT sanagul communitymentalhealthservicesinpakistanreviewstudyfrommuslimworld20002015
_version_ 1724720969115762688