Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T13:14:41.272Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mental health system and services in Albania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2011

Dévora Keste ,
Ledia Lazer ,
Neli Demi ,
Santino Severoni ,
Antonio Lora  and
Shekhar Saxena
Dévora Keste
Affiliation:
WHO Country Office Albania
Ledia Lazer
Affiliation:
WHO Country Office Albania
Neli Demi
Affiliation:
WHO Country Office Albania
Santino Severoni
Affiliation:
WHO Country Office Albania
Antonio Lora*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization
Shekhar Saxena
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization
*
Address for correspondence: Dr. A. Lora, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, CHJ-1211 Geneva (Switzerland). E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Aims — To describe the mental health system in Albania. Methods — Data were gathered in 2003 and in 2004 using a new WHO instrument, World Health Organization Assessment Instrument for Mental health Systems (WHO-AIMS), designed for collecting essential information on the mental health system of low and middle income countries. It consists of 6 domains, 28 facets and 156 items. Results — The information collected through WHO AIMS covered the key aspects of mental health system in Albania: the mental health policy and the legislative framework, the network of mental health services and the characteristics of the users, the role of the primary health care, the human resources, the public education and the links with other governmental sectors, monitoring and research. Conclusions — The data collection through WHO AIMS represented a needed step for a better in-depth knowledge of the system and for implementing actions to strengthen the system. Examples of planned actions were the improvement of the mental health component in primary care, a clear shift of resources from mental hospitals to community facilities, an increase of the outpatient care and an expansion of the mental health information system.

Declaration of Interest: none.

Keywords

AlbaniaMental health servicesWHO-AIMSWorld Health Organization.
Type
Original Articles
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 194 - 201
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bilanakis, N., Kaci, M., Malamas, M., Yiannitsi, S., Pappass, E. & Madianos, M. (2001) Psychiatrie morbidity in an urban area of Albania. A community survey. European Journal of Psychiatry 15, 69–81.Google Scholar
Cardozo, B.L., Holtz, T.H., Kaiser, R., Gotway, C.A., Ghitis, F., Toomey, E. & Salama, P. (2005). The mental health of expatriate and Kosovar Albanian humanitarian aid workers. Disasters 29(2), 152–170.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eytan, A., Gex-Fabry, M., Toscani, L., Deroo, L., Loutan, L. & Bovier, P.A. (2004). Determinants of postconflict symptoms in Albanian Kosovars. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders 192(10), 664–671.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gater, R., Jordanova, V., Maric, N., Alikaj, V., Bajs, M., Cavie, T., Dimitrov, H., Iosub, D., Mihai, A., Szalontay, A.S., Helmchen, H. & Sartorius, N. (2005). Pathways to psychiatrie care in Eastern Europe. British Journal of Psychiatry 186, 529–535.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lopes Cardozo, B., Kaiser, R., Gotway, C.A. & Agani, F. (2003). Health, social functioning, and feelings of hatred and revenge of Kosovar Albanians one year after the war in Kosovo. Trauma Stress 16(4), 351–360.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lund, C. & Fisher, A.J. (2003). Community hospital indicators in South African public sector mental health services. Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics 6, 181–187.Google ScholarPubMed
Saraceno, B. & Saxena, S. (2005). Mental health services in central and eastern Europe: current state and continuing concerns Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale 14, 44–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saxena, S., Lora, A., van Ommeren, M., Barrett, T., Morris, J. & Saraceno, B. (submitted for publication). WHO Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems: rationale and development process.Google Scholar
Suli, A., Lazëri, L. & Nano, L. (2004). Mental health services in Albania. International Psychiatry A, 14–15CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornicroft, G. & Tansella, M. (2005) Growing recognition of the importance of service user involvement in mental health service planning and evaluation Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale 14, 1–3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westermeyer, J. (2000). Health of Albanians and Serbians following the war in Kosovo: studying the survivors of both sides of armed conflict. Journal of American Medical Association 284(5), 615–616.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Bank (2004). Retrieved July 19, 2006, from http://www.world-bank.org.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (2000). World Health Report 2000. Health Systems: Improving Performance. WHO: Geneva.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (2001a). The World Health Report 2001. Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. WHO: Geneva.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (2001b). Atlas Mental Health Resources in the World 2001. WHO: Geneva.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (2004). The World Health Report 2004. Changing History. WHO: Geneva.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (2005a). Mental Health Atlas 2005. WHO: Geneva. Retrieved July 19, 2006, from http://www.who.int/men-tal_health/evidence/atlas/Google Scholar
World Health Organization (2005b). WHO Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS). WHO: Geneva. Retrieved July 19, 2006, from www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/WHO-AIMS/en/index.htm.Google Scholar
United Nations (2004). United Nations Statistics. United Nations Statistics Division. New York. Retrieved July 19, 2006, from http://unstats.un.orgGoogle Scholar