| In order to improve access to mental health care, the pathways that patients at mental hospitals take prior to receiving appropriate treatment need to be examined. This study was conducted at Mathari Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. The study utilized the 'encounter form' that is a part of the Pathway Study established by the World Health Organization. The purpose of the study was to find out the paths that patients follow in their search for appropriate mental health treatment. It was found that majority of the individuals are encouraged to seek mental health treatment by relatives and/or friends. Individuals primarily initially sought treatment at general hospitals, and most individuals received medication as the first form of treatment. Individuals with violent or aggressive behavior, and those with lower income and lower levels of education, were found to have significantly different treatment seeking behavior than people who exhibited nonaggressive symptoms, had higher income, and higher levels of education. The causes of these differences were not analyzed, but various reasons were explored in this paper. It was concluded that more studies need to be done in order for awareness of mental illness to be enhanced, and access to mental healthcare to be improved. |
