Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, US, USA.
University of Cagliari, Cagliari, IT, Italy.
BMC Public Health. 2022 Apr 2;22(1):639. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13102-2.
In 2012, Ghana ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and enacted a Mental Health Act to improve the quality of mental health care and stop human rights violations against people with mental health conditions. In line with these objectives, Ghanaian stakeholders collected data on the quality of mental health services and respect for human rights in psychiatric facilities to identify challenges and gather useful information for the development of plans aimed to improve the quality of the services offered. This study aimed to assess psychiatric facilities from different Ghanaian regions and provide evidence on the quality of care and respect of human rights in mental health services.
Assessments were conducted by independent visiting committees that collected data through observation, review of documentation, and interviews with service users, staff, and carers, and provided scores using the World Health Organization QualityRights Toolkit methodology.
This study revealed significant key challenges in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities principles in Ghanaian psychiatric services. The rights to an adequate standard of living and enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health were not fully promoted. Only initial steps had been taken to guarantee the right to exercise legal capacity and the right to personal liberty and security. Significant gaps in the promotion of the right to live independently and be included in the community were identified.
This study identifies shortcomings and critical areas that the Ghanaian government and facilities need to target for implementing a human rights-based approach in mental health and improve the quality of mental health care throughout the country.
2012 年,加纳批准了《联合国残疾人权利公约》,并颁布了《精神卫生法》,以提高精神卫生保健质量,制止侵犯精神健康状况者人权的行为。为了实现这些目标,加纳利益攸关方收集了关于精神卫生服务质量和尊重精神卫生机构中人权的数据,以确定挑战,并为旨在改善所提供服务质量的计划的制定收集有用信息。本研究旨在评估加纳不同地区的精神卫生机构,并提供有关精神卫生服务的护理质量和尊重人权的证据。
独立的访问委员会进行评估,通过观察、文件审查以及与服务使用者、工作人员和照顾者进行访谈收集数据,并使用世界卫生组织质量权利工具包方法进行评分。
本研究揭示了在加纳精神卫生服务中实施《联合国残疾人权利公约》原则方面存在的重大关键挑战。充分促进享有适当生活水准和享有能达到的最高健康标准的权利方面做得不够。仅采取了初步步骤来保障行使法律能力的权利以及人身自由和安全的权利。在促进独立生活和融入社区的权利方面存在重大差距。
本研究确定了加纳政府和设施需要针对哪些方面进行改进,以在精神卫生方面实施基于人权的方法,并在全国范围内改善精神卫生保健质量。