Presentation Information
[SY-12-01]Mental health care by a Japanese NGO and its research on causal beliefs and help-seeking behaviors
*Toshiyuki Marutani (Kinshicho Kubota Clinic(Japan))
Keywords:
NGO,Causal beliefs,Schizophrenia,Help-seeking behaviors
In 1997, we launched Japan’s first NGO aimed at supporting international mental health care, Supporters for Mental Health (SUMH). After its field survey to explore the local people’s needs, we trained community mental health specialists, one of whom directed the regional office SUMH-Cambodia in Siem Reap Provincial Hospital until 2017. When it was most active, the regional office also visited twice-monthly psychiatric consultation services at the two hospitals covering rural areas, where psychiatric services were previously non-existent or very limited.Along with medical services, we conducted research on causal beliefs regarding schizophrenia and help-seeking behaviors among patients with schizophrenia and their families, in cooperation with Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) Cambodia, directed by our co-presenter Dr. Chhim Sotheara. Our data show that the participants’ causal beliefs included those inconsistent with allegedly prevalent traditional beliefs. In addition, causal beliefs were not a decisive factor in shortening the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). We suggest that it is crucial to embed the meaning of psychiatric treatment into local meaning worlds for better help-seeking behaviors. When it comes to the future prospects of SUMH-Cambodia, we have difficulty proceeding to hand over our activities in the provincial hospital to the local government.