Jacob N, Coetzee D
Western Cape Government: Health, Cape Town, South Africa; School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
S Afr Med J. 2018 Feb 27;108(3):176-180. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2018.v108i3.12904.
Neuropsychiatric disorders were ranked third as contributors to disability-adjusted life-years in South Africa (SA). Despite this high morbidity, mental health is often overlooked on the public health agenda. This article reviews evidence on the burden of mental illness in the Western Cape Province of SA, as well as current provincial interventions to decrease the burden of mental illness. Available evidence supports the need for improved integration of mental health services in primary healthcare and strengthening of community services. Challenges include a lack of capacity due to staff shortages and inadequate availability and allocation of resources. Evidence from large epidemiological studies to quantify the burden of disease as well as cost-effectiveness studies of interventions are required to successfully plan and implement interventions. Similar reviews may provide a national overview of mental health issues as well as allow improvement through better understanding of research and best practices in various provinces.
在南非，神经精神疾病是导致伤残调整生命年的第三大因素。尽管发病率很高，但心理健康在公共卫生议程中常常被忽视。本文回顾了南非西开普省精神疾病负担的相关证据，以及该省目前为减轻精神疾病负担所采取的干预措施。现有证据支持在初级医疗保健中改善精神卫生服务整合以及加强社区服务的必要性。挑战包括人员短缺导致的能力不足以及资源的可获得性和分配不足。需要开展大型流行病学研究以量化疾病负担，并进行干预措施的成本效益研究，以便成功规划和实施干预措施。类似的综述可能会提供全国心理健康问题的概述，并通过更好地了解各省的研究和最佳实践实现改进。
