Treatment dropout at a secondary mental health service

Access and Discontinuity of Care at an Outpatient Mental Health Service for Older People in South Western Nigeria

We examined frequency and reasons for dropout from follow-up care at an outpatient mental health service for older people in South-Western Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study. Administrative reviews of 201 case records of clinic attendees who received a psychiatric diagnosis that required follow-up consultations were conducted. Records were those of patients seen between January 2015 and December 2017. Chart extraction was followed by Key Informant Interview (KII) to explore the reasons for drop out and partial non-attendance. We identified 37(18.4%) regular clinic attendees, as well as 147(73.1%) and 17(8.5%) dropout and partially attending patients, respectively. Approximately 45.6% of the dropouts occurred after the first consultation. In KII, distance from the hospital, long waiting times and financial constraints were the common reasons for dropout. The findings of this study should inform the development of strategies to improve access to mental health services in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries.

[The impact of territorial care in the treatment of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and delusional disorders in a Rio de Janeiro community]

Care for people diagnosed with schizophrenia and delusional disorders involves many challenges, especially in territorial contexts of pronounced social vulnerability. In Rio de Janeiro, the two decades after the passing of Federal Law 10,216 on Psychiatric Reform in 2001 have been characterized by the transition from a hospital-centered model to one based on community services. Taking the case of a community in Rio de Janeiro, data was extracted from the medical records of 94 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizotypal disorders, and delusional disorders (ICD-10 codes F20 to F29) in five public health services. Covering the period from 2003 to 2016, indicators of the quality of treatment provided were analyzed. As a result of this transition, psychiatric hospitals have all but emptied and a low number of currently untreated patients can be observed. In addition, crisis care and long-term hospitalizations have been replaced by territorial care, and clinical comorbidities are monitored and treated at Family Health Units.