Functioning of mental health patient in Vlora: perceptions of mental health professionals

• Author: Gentiana Xhelili
• Position: University of Vlora Ismail Qemali
• Pages: 125-129

Vo

l.

6

N

o

. 1

M

arch, 2020

ISS

N 2410-391

8

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cces on

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ine at www.ii

p

cc

l

.or

g

12

5

A

cademic Journal o

f

Business,

A

dministration, Law and Social Sciences

II

PCCL Publishin

g

, Graz-

A

ustria

F

unctionin

g

of mental health patient in Vlora: perceptions of mental health

p

rofessional

s

P

h

D

(

C.

)

Gentiana X

h

e

l

i

li

U

niversity o

f

Vlora

I

smail Qemali

Ab

str

a

ct

The aim of the present study is to explore professional’s perceptions on mental health patient’s

f

unctioning, residents both at the mental health hospital and at the

f

amily household

.

The study has an exploratory and descriptive nature. This study was based on semi-structured

i

nterviews administered to 40 mental health pro

f

essionals in Vlora (physicians, nurses,

care

g

ivers

)

.

I

n this study, the perspective o

f

Vlora mental health care pro

f

essionals is seen as important

for the continuation of the deinstitutionalization process and the improvement of gaps

e

nc

ou

nt

e

r

e

d

i

n th

e

w

o

rk.

K

e

y

words

:

mental health, mental health professionals, mental health patients, hospital, family

h

ou

s

e

h

o

ld

.

I

ntr

odu

ct

io

n

R

e

f

erring to WH

O

de

fi

nitions and according to the Ministr

y

o

f

Health (2005), mental

h

ealth conce

p

ts include subjective well-being, sel

f

-

p

re

p

aration, autonom

y

, abilit

y

a

nd sel

f

-

p

erce

p

tion o

f

intellectual and emotional

p

otential. Seeing it on di



erent

p

ers

p

ectives, it is im

p

ossible

f

or mental health to be com

p

rehensivel

y

de

fi

ned.

H

owever, it

h

as

b

een recognize

d

t

h

at menta

l

h

ea

l

t

h

is a wi

d

er conce

p

t t

h

an just t

h

e

a

bs

e

nc

e

of

m

e

nt

a

l h

ea

lth d

i

s

o

rd

e

rs.

According to the Ministry of Health action plan (2005), the human resources serving

mental health patients are psychiatrists that serve nearly 78,000 citizens and nurses

that work in the psychiatric service (including hospital, community patients and

family household patients).

In addition, the human resources in hospitals also include so-called caregivers, who

are usually unskilled employees that are expected to assist hospitalized patients in

meeting their daily needs. Due to the lack of nurses they o en work as nurses in the

psychiatric service (especially during night shi s).

Referring to the Thematic Report of the Ombudsperson (2018), in Albania, the mental

health service continues to clash among e orts to change the traditional profi le

focused on psychiatric and neurological treatments in outpatient and psychiatric

se ings towards decentralized services for these patients. All these, coupled with

the changing typology of services and the expansion of professionals needed in the

mental health service.

Changing the typology of services has as its primary function and purpose the

improvement of the quality of life of mental health patients.

I

m

p

roving

p

atient

q

ualit

y

o

f

li

f

e and ada

p

ting the care services to their needs are