Standards in mental health facilities – an in depth case study in Greece using the WHO QualityRights tool
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the quality of healthcare offered by a Greek Public Psychiatric Clinic. Special attention is paid to the degree to which the Clinic promotes human rights, social inclusion, and autonomy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for an exploratory study using the open-ended approach of grounded theory, including 21 depth interviews with patients, staff members and patients’ relatives, documentation review and observation by an independent assessment team consisting of the author, a sociologist with mental disabilities, and a psychologist using the World Health Organization QualityRights tool kit which uses the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as its frame. The data complemented by a group discussion with employees in another Clinic of the same hospital.
Findings
The paper provides empirical insights about how the steps taken by the Psychiatric Clinic to address several of the themes drawn from the CRPD require either improvement or initiation to comply fully with the convention's themes, and how this compares unfavorably with the Urology Clinic.
Research limitations/implications
Sample size and restriction of the data to only one mental health facility limit the generalizibility of the results. Staff who reported professional burnout and cuts in wages may have been be susceptible to recall bias due to current negative mood. Respondent patients may also have failed to disclose their true experiences due to fear of punishment.
Originality/value
The paper uses a new methodology and instrument to assess current practice in mental health facilities in relation to international human rights standards emanating from the CRPD as well as the degree of parity between mental health and general health services.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The biggest thank you goes to the heroes of this project, the persons with mental disabilities and their families, who have educated me about their needs and concerns. This study was conducted with research clearance from the Directors and the Head Nurses of the Clinics, the Hospital Scientific Committee and the Board of Directors of the Hospital; and with permit from the Hellenic Data Protection Authority; and with written informed consent from all research participants.
Citation
Nomidou, A. (2013), "Standards in mental health facilities – an in depth case study in Greece using the WHO QualityRights tool", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 201-211. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-06-2013-0046
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited