Perceived Barriers to Obtaining Psychiatric Treatment at Johnson City Community Health Center

• Main Author: Bolton, Mychal
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2014
• Subjects: Health Services Research; Nursing; Other Nursing; Other Psychiatry and Psychology; Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/223; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1222&context=honors

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived barriers to obtaining psychiatric treatment at the Johnson City Community Health Center. The context of the study was a rural area in Eastern Tennessee. Five patients with confirmed DSM-IV mental health diagnoses were recruited during treatment and interviewed at the Johnson City Community Health Center after their scheduled appointments with a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MHNP). The semi-structured interview focused on perceived barriers to obtaining treatment, perceptions of treatment received, and perceived availability of treatment. From those interviews, two themes were identified and each of which had two sub-themes identified: Realities of Treatment with the sub-themes of Therapy-Related Realities and Logistics Realities, The Way It Is with the sub-themes of Take Care of It Myself and Don’t Want People to Know. The findings indicate that there is a duality of positive and negative aspects of treatment at Johnson City Community Health Center. Understanding the needs and perceptions of those with psychiatric diagnoses will assist all staff and mental health providers in developing programs that are better suited for those with psychiatric diagnoses receiving treatment from Johnson City Community Health Center.