title: Mental Health Services in Rural China: A Qualitative Study of Primary Health Care Providers.
abstract: This study aimed to understand the challenges that primary health care providers faced in the process of delivering mental healthcare and assess their attitudes towards patients with mental health problems. In-depth interviews were conducted among 42 primary health care providers in two counties of Guangxi province, China. All interviews were audio-recorded and analyzed thematically. Primary health care providers in both counties faced the same difficulties: lack of professional knowledge, fear of patients' attack, more extra work, and less subsidies. However, most of primary health care providers (30/42) were still willing to do mental healthcare management. All the interviewees considered that communication skills with patients and their family members, proper attitude (without discrimination), and the professional knowledge of mental health are required. There are still several participants (15/42) who showed negative attitude toward mental disorders. Nearly all the respondents (39/42) emphasized the importance of increasing their income or subsidies by the government. This qualitative study provides insights into mental health services in rural communities of Guangxi and identified issues that could be considered in engaging primary health care providers in the management of mental disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Brain Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi 545005, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi 533099, China.
authors.forename: Faqin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Abu S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Qiming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 2005 May;186:436-41
references.pmid: 15863750
references.citation: PLoS Med. 2006 Nov;3(11):e442
references.pmid: 17132052
references.citation: Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012 Jun;125(6):440-52
references.pmid: 22242976
references.citation: PLoS Med. 2011 Nov;8(11):e1001122
references.pmid: 22110406
references.citation: Nature. 2011 Jul 7;475(7354):27-30
references.pmid: 21734685