No Where To Go : Exploration Of Social Reasons Delaying The Discharge Of Recent Admissions To A Mental Hospital

• Main Author: Thulasivaani, A/P Magasvaran
• Format: E-LPTA
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 2009
• Subjects: HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/29033/1/No%20Where%20to%20Go%20%3B%20Exploration%20of%20Social%20Reasons%20Delaying%20the%20Discharge.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/29033/

Community care is now the emphasis in psychiatric care within Malaysia. The whole idea of community care practice is to avoid hospitalization and treat people with mental health problems within the family or society. Nevertheless some hospitalization can be necessary but the aim is to successfully discharge people as early as possible back to the community. The extended period during which patients remain in the hospital beyond the time deemed than medically necessary has been referred to as the social stay. This study focuses on exploring the reasons that underlie a patient's social stay in a mental hospital and also the reasons that people return to the hospital very quick after their discharge. Further the study has been conducted in a mental hospital in Sarawak using a case study method supplemented by in-depth interviews as the research tool of this study. Various issues and problems have been identified where most importantly it highlights that some patients are in a danger of hospitalization if any immediate intervention is not taken to help them in the discharge process. Looking at that there are still people who have been social stay within the hospital, the provision of community care has been seen as not effective.