Person-centred care : the lived experiences of community mental health service-users

Abstract

Background: Mental illness is common among adults and is the leading cause of years lived with disability (YLD) (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2022). However, research on person-centred care (PCC) from mental health service users’ experiences is limited and particularly scarce in clinical community mental health services. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore PCC from the lived experiences of persons with mental health problems, using the present five main public clinical community MH services in the regions of Malta located in Cospicua, Paola, Ħal-Qormi, Floriana, and Mtarfa. The objectives were: to gain a better understanding of person-centred framework outcomes and to understand the holistic needs and healing outcomes of the service-users. Design: A qualitative approach was used, followed by the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as recommended by Smith et al (2009). Settings: The study was conducted in a quiet room within the above-mentioned clinics. Participants: Ten Maltese individuals – six females, three males, and one other, all experiencing mental illness. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of participants (n=10) with mental illnesses, using the context of the study. The ten semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. IPA was used for data analysis. Results: Three superordinate themes emerged, namely: “Quality Care”, “Emotional Support”, and “Partnership and Collaboration Care”. Conclusion: Participants in this study reported both the strengths and weaknesses throughout the care they received from their healthcare professionals (HCP) and the system within the context of the study. The participants also expressed suggestions for further improvements in the quality of care that, if implemented, would facilitate PCC. The significant findings of the study suggest that continuous knowledge, practice and research in PCC are needed in this field. In addition, this dissertation provide an opportunity, especially for HCP, to understand in-depth the meanings of PCC from mental health service users within the context of the study.