Bouwer Petra J, Jenkins Louis S, Schoevers Johann
Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town.
Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2025 Aug 26;17(1):e1-e12. doi: 10.4102/phcfm.v17i1.4979.
Mental health disorders are increasing globally. In South Africa, primary healthcare (PHC) services are tasked with mental healthcare, with limited resources. A task-sharing approach between PHC role-players has also been met with barriers, including negative attitudes towards mental health care, organisational constraints and insufficiently trained staff. Aim: To assess the perceptions and experiences of PHC practitioners in managing common mental health disorders. Setting: Primary healthcare facilities in the Garden Route District, South Africa.
An observational, descriptive study using a cross-sectional survey obtained a representative sample of 130 participants. Redcap© platforms captured data, which were analysed to give frequencies and means using simple descriptive statistics. Results: Most participants (68.46%) reported average or below average competence in managing mental health conditions. Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) (68.42%) and PHC clinics (56.25%) found reaching a referral practitioner to be challenging. Waiting times of referred patients were longer at hospital OPDs and clinics than at Community Day Centres. Conclusion: Resources allocated to PHC mental health services remained inadequate, while available support structures were underutilised. The presence of a dedicated mental health practitioner at a facility had a direct influence on the experience of the staff in managing these disorders. Policy makers and managers should motivate for training in mental health and empower the PHC system to offer acceptable mental health services, in accordance with national and international guidelines. Contribution: This research contributed insights into the current mental health ecosystem in primary care, and the need for increased awareness, training and utilising available resources, which could be useful in similar contexts in sub-Saharan Africa.
全球心理健康障碍患者数量正在增加。在南非，初级卫生保健（PHC）服务负责提供心理健康护理，但资源有限。初级卫生保健各角色参与者之间的任务分担方法也遇到了障碍，包括对心理健康护理的负面态度、组织限制以及工作人员培训不足。目的：评估初级卫生保健从业者在管理常见心理健康障碍方面的认知和经验。地点：南非花园大道区的初级卫生保健设施。
一项采用横断面调查的观察性描述性研究获取了130名参与者的代表性样本。通过Redcap©平台收集数据，并使用简单描述性统计分析数据以得出频率和均值。结果：大多数参与者（68.46%）表示在管理心理健康状况方面能力处于平均水平或以下。门诊部（68.42%）和初级卫生保健诊所（56.25%）发现联系转诊医生具有挑战性。转诊患者在医院门诊部和诊所的等待时间比在社区日间中心更长。结论：分配给初级卫生保健心理健康服务的资源仍然不足，而现有的支持结构未得到充分利用。机构中有专门的心理健康从业者对工作人员管理这些障碍的经验有直接影响。政策制定者和管理者应推动心理健康培训，并根据国家和国际指南赋予初级卫生保健系统提供可接受的心理健康服务的能力。贡献：本研究为初级保健中当前的心理健康生态系统提供了见解，以及提高认识、培训和利用现有资源的必要性，这在撒哈拉以南非洲的类似背景下可能会有所帮助。
