Mental health services in Bahrain: current structure and future directions

ABSTRACT

A review of the current psychiatric services in the state of Bahrain is made with an attempt at projecting the necessary increase in the number of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses and inpatient beds as well as the necessary services to meet the increased population by the year 2000 using the guidelines of the Royal College of Psychiatrists White Paper [1977] coupled with WHO projections [1979]. It was recommended that the number of psychiatrists doubled; while an 80% increase in the number of psychiatric nurses was deemed necessary, the number of beds has to increase by 200. In addition, psychiatric training of family physicians and exp and ing psychiatric services at the primary care level was needed. Development of Bahraini nursing staff and other allied health care staff level as social workers was planned. The plan for meeting such dem and s and an alternate route for future developments was discussed