Community Mental Health Nurses’ Perspectives on Assessing Common Mental Disorders in Primary Care: A Qualitative Study from Ghana
Daniel Ofori-Mankata *
Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Tepa, Ghana and Department of Nursing, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
Hayford Isaac Budu
Department of Nursing, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
Albert Opoku
Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Tepa, Ghana.
Margaret Nyarko
Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Goaso, Ghana.
Felix Tutu Okyere
Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Tepa, Ghana.
Sally Korkor Amoakwa
Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Tepa, Ghana.
Esther Anim
Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Tepa, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Mental health assessment remains the cornerstone of all mental health professionals caring for people living with mental disorders. Mental health assessment and diagnosis have shifted to general practitioners and community mental health nurses due to the low number of trained psychiatrists and psychologists in low- and middle-income countries.
Objective: Explore community mental health nurses’ perspectives on the assessment of common mental disorders in primary mental healthcare settings in Ghana
Methodology: The research design used was descriptive qualitative. We conducted a face-to-face interview using a non-directive interview guide. The participants were selected using purposive sampling, and data were transcribed and analyzed thematically.
Findings: The study identified five main themes: techniques in assessment, types of screening tools, planning care after diagnosis, and knowledge regarding the assessment of individuals living with mental illness. Participants recognized the mental state evaluation tool as the only valid and reliable tool they were familiar with, even though more accurate and straightforward tools are available. Participants acknowledged their limited understanding of how to effectively assess and screen individuals living with common mental disorders.
Conclusion: Community mental health nurses dominate Ghana's primary mental health care system. Community mental health nurses provide patients committed, high-quality treatment despite the strain brought on by patients' and family members' increasing accessibility. They would be more successful if trained to screen primary care patients for common mental illnesses. Validated assessment and screening tools are needed to identify common mental disorders.
Keywords: Assessment, common mental disorders, community psychiatric nurses, primary mental healthcare setting, screening