การดูแลผู้ป่วยจิตเภทโดยชุมชน Care of Schizophrenia Patients by the Community

Abstract

This  ethnographic  research   aimed  to  study  the definitions and situation of the problems of schizophrenia patients, and  to synthesize  the  care of schizophrenia  patients  by  the  community  based  on  the community context. It is believed that the study would reflect the working procedure of the persons involved in the development of care to meet the needs of schizophrenia patients. The study  was  conducted  from  December 2015 to March 2017 in a rural area of the Northeast. There were 83 informants, including  the familys  and  neighbours  31 persons,  the public sector 23 persons, the community leaders 15 persons and the government officials 14 persons. The data collection was administered by participatory observation, in-depth interviews and group discussion. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data.  

          Five main points were obtained from the study. 1. The definitions of schizophrenia patients given by the community included stressing people, people with brain diseases, crazy people, people who were threatened by superstition and disappointed  by  the Dhamma  2. The lifestyles of schizophrenia patients included relying on others,  living alone, not having rights and opportunities and having the poor’s way of life. 3. There were the problems and the needs of care of schizophrenia patients. 4. The concrete care of the community for patients with schizophrenia that covered health and social dimensions were as follows: 1) care assistance, 2) care services, 3) strengthening, 4) potential development and 5) welfare and other services. 5) factors affecting  care of schizophrenia patients by community.

           There were four main community organizations cooperating in the care of schizophrenia patients, namely the public sector, village headmen, local government organizations and government agencies. This situation illustrated the development of schizophrenia patient care system by the community in five aspects: 1) the principles of community care system, 2) the education and the use of information, 3) the cooperation of four main organizations, 4) the development process and 5) the use of community mechanisms .  The  findings revealed  that  community  empowerment  and   strengthening  the  community    to develop the model of care of schizophrenia patients by the community  that cover the health  and social  dimension.