The Impact of Deinstitutionalization of Mental Health Services on Recovery Process among Depressive Patients in Gaza Strip

Abstract

The overall aim of this study is to understand the impact of deinstitutionalization "community based treatment" versus hospital based treatment on recovery process among depressive patients in Gaza Strip in order to find the most effective way for achieving recovery among depressive patients. Descriptive, cross-sectional design was used, focused on distributed questionnaires. This questionnaire was used to collect the required data in order to achieve the objectives of the study . Which included 383 mentally ill patients, (245) male and (138) female with confirmed diagnosis of depression, who were treated in the local governmental community based treatment and EL-Nasser psychiatric hospital in Gaza Strip during 2009-2010, they participated voluntarily in this study. The sample was 120 participants, and it was as the following 80 patients from governmental community mental health centers and 40 patients from EL-Nasser psychiatric hospital, so the sample was 2:1. Questionnaires were distributed to the research sample with response rate 86%, validity and reliability of the instrument were tested and the total instrument reliability test (Cronbach's Alpha) was 0.91. The major findings of this study was as the following: The level of recovery for depressive patients in EL-Nasser psychiatric hospital was 42.88 %, while the level of recovery for depressive patients in Gaza governmental community mental health clinics was 73.29%, and (P- value equal or less than 0.05), the study revealed that there were significant differences on the opinion of the respondent about all fields of recovery scale at significant level and the differences in favor of Gaza governmental community mental health clinics. There were significant differences about the impact of deinstitutionalization of mental health services on recovery process among depressive patients in Gaza Strip due to marital status at significant level in favor of " single ", which can be clarified because of lack of social relationships and responsibilities that keep them need less concentrated support and economical costs. There were statistical differences about the impact of deinstitutionalization of mental health services on recovery process among depressive patients in Gaza Strip due to period of treatment at significant level in favor of "6 months-1 year", that appears that more acute cases can achieve recovery in early diagnosis with more optimal treatment methods. There were significant differences about the impact of deinstitutionalization of mental health services on recovery process among depressive patients in Gaza Strip due to place for treatment at significant level, and the difference in favor of Gaza governmental community mental health clinics, showed that community based treatment can achieve much better results for depressive patients that may return to many factors as, acceptance to community based treatment is more likable and preferable than in hospital based treatment with more social interaction and communication away from social isolation and exclusion. The study recommended that it's important to focus our attention on mental health care provided for those patients to relieve their suffering and make better health care provision for them. Community based treatment can achieve great level of recovery for depressive patients and enhance social interaction and communication rather than hospital based treatment.