Κατεύθυνση Προαγωγή και Αγωγή της Υγείας
Library of the School of Health Sciences

2020-04-06

2020

Stavrou Evangelia

Σακελλάρη Ευανθία, Επίκουρος Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Δημόσιας και Κοινοτικής Υγείας, Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής
Νοταρά Βενετία, Επίκουρος Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Δημόσιας και Κοινοτικής Υγείας, Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής
Λάγιου Αρετή, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Δημόσιας και Κοινοτικής Υγείας, Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής

Γνώσεις, στάσεις και συμπεριφορές των φαρμακοποιών ως προς την υποστήριξη ατόμων με ψυχικές ασθένειες: μια συγχρονική μελέτη

Greek

Pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding the support of people with mental illness: A cross-sectional study

Background: For many mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, medications remain the main method of treatment. With the increasing burden of mental disorders worldwide, pharmacists can play an important role in supporting people with mental illness as they interact with them daily. However, personal and practical obstacles may prevent complete commitment.
Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of Greek pharmacists towards mentally ill people who visit their pharmacy. More specifically, the study measures aspects of service provision (comfort, confidence, willingness and interest) and comparative views (stigma, attitudes, and beliefs) of mentally ill people.
Methodology: The approach is based on a quantitative survey of primary data, with a structured questionnaire distributed printed and electronically to a random sample of 155 pharmacists in different regions of Greece. The questionnaire is based on international literature studies. Research aims to outline demographics, modern pharmacists' knowledge of "mental illness", their comfort level and their willingness to provide services to people with mental illnesses.
Results: More than half of the pharmacists (68.4%) responded that they played a role in mental health care, mainly by referring patients to mental health professionals (62%) and counseling patients on psychotropic medicines (53%). The vast majority of them (92.3%) do not have specialized training in mental illness, and only 37.4% report sufficient knowledge of current medications for mental illness. However, 85.5% agree that attending mental health seminars will make them more confident about their knowledge. Regarding prejudice, over 1 in 2 participants stated that they would not be willing to recommend a person with a mental illness for work or to hire themselves in their pharmacy. Barriers aside from the lack of specialized training were the lack of time for consulting patients (57.5%) and the lack of a private designated pharmacy space for counseling, either in person or by telephone (71%). Better communication between physicians and pharmacists (95.5%) was also reported as an important facilitator.
Conclusion: People with mental disorders need special care and support. Most of the pharmacists (87.7%) agree that community pharmacists should strive to be active supporters of recovery efforts made by people with mental illnesses.
 
Better communication between doctors and pharmacists, the development of a private space within the pharmacy for counseling, the training of community pharmacists on mental illness would enhance the effects of each treatment and would be crucial to eliminating the stigma of mental illness. Taking clinical decision along with the patient is also a prerequisite for achieving integrated care and requires a sufficiently informed patient.

Health Sciences

Quantitative research, Pharmacists, Pharmaceutical care, Mental illness, Social stigma, Mental disorders

No

0

Yes

41

97

File access is restricted only to the intranet of UoA.

https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/2900431