Pantang Hospital, P.O. Box PL81, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, Accra, Ghana.
J Relig Health. 2023 Jun;62(3):1853-1871. doi: 10.1007/s10943-022-01643-0. Epub 2022 Sep 6.
Human rights abuses in mental health care are a global concern. Addressing the problem requires input from key stakeholders, particularly from people using mental health services. This study explored the experiences of persons with mental illness receiving care in a faith-based setting in Ghana. The study employed a qualitative design, with in-depth interviews (n = 23) and focus groups (n = 18 participants in 3 groups). The constant comparative method of analysis was used to identify themes in participants' descriptions of their experiences. The first three themes identified are consistent with human rights and coercion, and the last two themes related to service users' views on participation in spiritual practices. Themes included: decision-making around care; consent and efficacy of religious healing; experiences with chaining; views around biomedical treatment; participation in religious activities as part of healing and recognition of the need for spiritual healing. It was observed that participants with prior experience of psychiatric treatment were happy about the absence of chaining in psychiatric facilities but strongly disliked the side effects of medications. These findings underscore the need for faith-based institutions to provide care that is consistent with patient preferences, thereby helping to address the resultant human rights abuses.
精神卫生保健中的侵犯人权问题是一个全球性的关注点。解决这个问题需要来自主要利益攸关方的投入，特别是来自使用精神卫生服务的人群。本研究探讨了在加纳基于信仰的环境中接受护理的精神疾病患者的经历。该研究采用了定性设计，包括深入访谈（n=23）和焦点小组（n=18 名参与者分为 3 组）。使用恒定比较法对参与者描述的经历进行主题识别。确定的前三个主题与人权和强制有关，最后两个主题与服务使用者对参与精神实践的看法有关。主题包括：护理方面的决策；宗教治疗的同意和疗效；与锁链相关的经历；对生物医学治疗的看法；作为治疗的一部分参与宗教活动以及对精神治疗的需求的认识。观察到，有精神科治疗经验的参与者对精神科设施中没有锁链感到高兴，但非常不喜欢药物的副作用。这些发现强调了需要基于信仰的机构提供符合患者偏好的护理，从而有助于解决由此产生的侵犯人权问题。
