| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Objective: Mental health in Iran has passed a lot of ups and downs. Integration of mental health into primary healthcare increased access, particularly in rural areas and made remarkable results. After nearly three decades of implementing integration program, due to demographic changes, needs and priorities changed and evaluation studies addressed the necessity of revising the program. Due to the expansion of the family physician program and improvement of primary mental healthcare within its framework, the program was subjected to revision. This paper reports on goals, strategies, and required actions within this revision. Methods: A combination of review and qualitative studies were used in revision of Mental Health Integration Program in Primary Healthcare and the Family Physician and national and international scientific resources, experiences and reliable evidences were used. Group discussion, expert panels and Delphi technique were used to determine shortcomings, goals and strategies to reach consensus. Results: By determining the general goals the program’s intended values in some domains were defined and to achieve these goals, strategies in various areas including service delivery, education, assessment and information system, advocacy, provision of basic medicines, quality improvement, and administrative and financial affairs were designed. Under each strategy, objectives and measures were identified. Conclusion: In delivering service, in addition of widening the coverage, services must be more community-based and psychological and mental health improvement services should be established in service delivery system. The program focus must be shifted from widening the coverage to program enhancement. Strengthening information gathering system aiming practical studies and developing a system for protecting patients with severe malignant disorders and their proxies must be brought into consideration. Attention should be paid to recruiting capable human resources and calling for organizations, services providers and their clients’ cooperation, and drawing on clients’ satisfaction index for quality improvement. The implementation of strategies and mental health interventions by preserving the strengths of previous plans in the context of the family physician or any other contexts for delivering mental healthcare are applicable with minor changes; requiring decision makers’ will and seriousness, and stability in provision of necessary resources for implementation of the program. |