Abstract
The object of this paper was to investigate the experiences of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) living in a community, including their utilization of care and treatment services. Psychiatric care and social services staff members were asked to make an inventory of those they served in two districts of Malmö, Sweden. Participants had to be over 18 years of age and unable to manage their daily lives without help from others. Almost all of the 80 participants (95 %) were under psychiatric care. A majority (86 %) was receiving dental treatment, and 61 % were supported by social services. Fifty-four percent of the participants received somatic care on an ongoing basis. Although the majority reported the care given as sufficient, one-third of this SMI population considered the care and support they received to be insufficient. Satisfying those who are dissatisfied with the care they are being given would be a significant challenge for service providers, since the unsatisfied are shown to have more difficult lives.
References
Appleby, L. (1992). Suicide in psychiatric patients, risk and prevention. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 749–758.
Becker, T., & Kilian, R. (2006). Psychiatric services for people with severe mental illness across Western Europe: What can be generalized from current knowledge about differences Provision, costs and outcome of mental health care? Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 113(suppl 429), 9–16.
Becker, T., & Vaszques-Barquero, J. (2001). The European perspective of psychiatry reform. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 104(Suppl 410), 8–14.
Beebe, L. (2010). What community living problems do persons with schizophrenia report during periods of stability? Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 46, 48–55.
Belfrage, H. (1994). Criminality and mortality among a cohort of former mental patients in Sweden. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 48, 343–347.
Bellack, A., Green, M., Cook, J., Fenton, W., Harvey, P., Heaton, R., et al. (2007). Assessment of community functioning in people with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses: A white paper based on a NIMH-sponsored workshop. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 33, 805–822.
Bhugra, D. (2000). Literature update: A critical review. Sexual Relationship and Therapy, 15, 193–199.
Björkman, T., & Svensson, B. (2005). Quality of life in people with severe mental illness. Reliability and validity of the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA). Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 59, 302–306.
Bouza, C., Lopéz-Cuadrado, T., & Amate, J. (2010). Hospital admissions due to physical disease in people with schizophrenia: A national population based study. General Hospital Psychiatry, 32, 156–163.
Evert, H., Harvey, C., Trauer, T., & Herrman, H. (2003). The relationship between social networks and occupational and self-care functioning in people with psychosis. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38, 180–188.
Hansson, L., Middelboe, T., Sorgaard, K., Bengtsson-Tops, A., Bjarnason, O., Merinder, L., et al. (2002). Living situation, subjective quality of life and social network among individuals with schizophrenia living in community settings. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 106, 343–350.
Lehman, A., Lieberman, J., Dixon, L., McGlashan, T., Miller, A., Perkins, D., et al. (2004). Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia, second edition. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 1–56.
Malone, D., Marriot, S., Newton-Howes, G., et al. (2010) Community mental health teams (CMHTs) for people with severe mental illnesses and disordered personality. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3, 32–38.
National Collaborating Center for Mental Health. (2002). Schizophrenia: Core Interventions for the treatment of schizophrenia in primary and secondary Care. London: National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Norcross, J. C. (Ed.). (2011). Psychotherapy relationships that work (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Norcross, J. C., Hogan, T. P., & Koocher, G. P. (2008). Clinician’s guide to evidence-based practices: Mental health and the addictions. New York: Oxford University Press.
Nordström, M., Skärsäter, I., Björkman, T., & Wijk, H. (2009). The life circumstances of persons with a psychiatric disability: A survey in a region in southern Sweden. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 16, 738–748.
Östman, M. (2013). Low satisfaction with sex life among people with severe mental illness living in a community. (Submitted).
Persson, K., Axtelius, B., Söderfeldt, B., & Östman, M. (2009). Association of perceived quality of life and oral health among psychiatric outpatients. Psychiatric Services, 60, 1552–1554.
Priebe, S., & Gruyters, T. (1993). The role of the helping alliance in psychiatric community care. A prospective study. Journal of Nervous Mental Disorders, 181, 552–557.
Priebe, S., Huxley, P., Knight, S., & Evans, S. (1999). Application and results of the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA). International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 45, 7–12.
Ruggeri, M., Leese, M., Thornicroft, G., Bisoffi, G., & Tansella, M. (2000). Definition and prevalence of severe and persistent mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 149–155.
Scott, J. (1993). Homelessness and mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 314–324.
Slade, M., Powell, R., & Strathdee, G. (1997). Current Approaches to identifying the severely mentally ill. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 32, 177–184.
Statens offentliga utredningar (2006). Ambition och ansvar:.Nationell strategi för utveckling av samhällets insatser till personer med psykiska sjukdomar och funktionshinder. Slutbetänkande av nationell psykiatrisamordning. [Ambition and responsibility; National strategy for severely mentally ill people in Sweden] Stockholm: SOU.
Wahlbeck, K., Westman, J., Nordentoft, M., Gissler, M., & Laursen, T. (2011). Outcomes of Nordic mental health systems: Life expectancy of patients with mental disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 199, 453–458.
Wheeler, A. (2007). Sociodemographic, functional and clinical correlates in outpatients with schizophrenia: Comparison with affective disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 809–818.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Geneva: WHO.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Tommy Björkman—deceased.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Östman, M., Björkman, T. People Living in Community with a Severe Mental Illness: Utilization and Satisfaction with Care and Support. Community Ment Health J 50, 926–931 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9710-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9710-2