Developing a Psychiatric Care Network in the Community to Prevent Recurrence

Abstract

     Today’s Thai society places great importance on material progress. People are struggling to live, causing a large amount of people stress and anxiety. This also causes greater mental health disorders and results in an increased number of psychiatric patients nationally. The problem of psychiatric patients is that upon leaving the hospital they are not receiving continuous treatment and as such there is often recurrence which is increasing every year. It is important to develop a psychiatric care network in the community to care for these patients. This will provide a better quality of life for them in many fields. For example, patients can do their daily activities, live with their families within the community, pursue careers or receive grants as aid to a better life. The caregiver has to
have the skills to take care of the patients and make sure they take medication continuously, also they need to have knowledge about the side effects of the drugs and report recurrences if it occurs. The network leaders, together with the village volunteers regularly visit to evaluate the treatment results. Developing a psychiatric care network in the community will prevent the recurrence of psychiatric patients in the area.