Psychological Distress of Community Based Residents with Mental Illness in Perak, Malaysia

Community-based rehabilitation services in Malaysia have been established with the introduction of the National Mental health Act 2001. The Health Ministry’s aims of providing a comprehensive community care encountered difficulties due to the lack of support for the primary and secondary health care...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) N.J.), 2019-04, Vol.38 (2), p.397-404
Main Authors: Low, Sew Kim, Lee, Wan Ying, Jacob, Christoper Selvaraj
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Care and treatment
Caregivers
Community health services
Diagnosis
Family
Health care industry
Medical law
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental health care
Mental health services
Mentally ill persons
Methods
Psychological research
Psychology
Qualitative research
Rehabilitation
Social Sciences
Stress (Psychology)
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Summary:Community-based rehabilitation services in Malaysia have been established with the introduction of the National Mental health Act 2001. The Health Ministry’s aims of providing a comprehensive community care encountered difficulties due to the lack of support for the primary and secondary health care services. Given the lack of study into the challenges faced by individuals with mental illnesses, an apparent need has arisen to conduct a qualitative study to better understand the experiences and the psychological well-being of these individuals. The aim of this research is to investigate the psychological distress faced and experienced by these residents with mental illnesses in one of the community-based rehabilitation centres and to explore the problems they encounter. A total of eight residents were interviewed using a semi-structured interview approach. The findings revealed an obvious neglect of the residents’ psychological and social well-being. They felt the need for family support and social acceptance, to preserve their integrity and to get the understanding of the caregivers and the stigmatization that comes with mental illnesses. Mental health services should incorporate an integrative approach of public acceptance of these people living with mental illnesses by providing appropriate psychological services and facilities.
ISSN:1046-1310
1936-4733
DOI:10.1007/s12144-017-9621-9