Feasibility of integrating community psychiatric services into primary health care facilities in Belize: a preliminary report

ABSTRACT

Paper states that the inception of a new Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner's Programme at the Belize School of Nursing in 1990 signalled the phasing out of the existing outreach program to rural districts. In its place would be a community-based psychiatric service headed by Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners deployed to district work stations. This study aimed at exploring the readiness of members of the health services previously involved to accept the impending change in psychiatric service delivery and to assess the extent of integration of community mental health at this time. In August of 1991, a self-administered questionnaire was issued to psychiatric service delivery personnel, both form primary and secondary care, and structured interviews were carried out with senior administrators in Belize. The results indicate a high level of basic training and a notable degree of integration already existing within the system. The vast majority of primary and secondary care respondents appeared willing to accept the new category of worker into the system, and both groups were also willing to participate in routine care of the mentally ill, especially if trained to do so. The administrators' responses hinted at a lack of cohesiveness among this group regarding achievement of policy objectives. In view of these findings, a forum for review of and forward planning for the psychiatric services in Belize would be welcome at this time(AU)