| Abstract [eng] |
Accessibility to Mental Health Services for Elderly Residents of Vilnius With the changes in today’s world we are faced with new issues that need to be addressed. The shifts in the demographic situation means that there are less children being born and because of increased life span we have more seniors and there must be methods implemented that ensure a healthy aging process to any and all. It is not limited to just enhance the quality of life in seniors but also cost reductions in healthcare services. The aim of this study: evaluate the availability of psychic health services to the 65 old or older citizens of Vilnius. Tasks of the research: 1. Evaluate the need for psychic health services. 2. Evaluate the amount of information available to the elderly regarding where to get psychic health services. 3. Researching the reasons why citizens refuse to seek help from psychic health specialists. 4. Evaluate people’s opinion regarding the availability of psychic health services and people having health issues in psychic health. Methods used. An anonymous survey was issued to a target group of 389 citizens of Vilnius the age of 65 and older. A standard analysis was carried out – descriptive statistics. The categorized data was analyzed using the Pearson Chi2 test. The data entry was carried out using EpiData 3.1 software. Statistical analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS version 19 and WinPepi statistic packs. The tables were drawn using Microsoft Excel 2013. The chosen statistical significant level was α = 0,05. The differences were deemed relevant when the p < 0,05. Results. The physician prescribed medicine that effect psychic health were used by 29.2 percent. Supplements for psychic health that were prescribed by physicians were used by 25.2 percent. Supplements not prescribed by doctors – 43 percent of the respondents and a staggering 15.8 percent used medicine that was not issued by any physician. The main reasoning given by respondents why the did not seek the help of a psychic health professional, psychiatrists or psychiatrists, even though there was a need for such services were : 58.8 percent said that their family doctor answered all their questions, 44.8 felt shame or uncomfortable to seek such services, 41.4 percent did not seek professional help because of the costs of said services and 34.5 percent stated that waiting for a consult would have taken too long. Findings: 1. Elderly citizens have a lot of complaints that can be associated with psychic health issues, that is why citizens that are 65 and older require mental health services. 2. Elderly citizens require more information on where to seek such services and who can help them with mental health issues. 3. The most common reasons that respondents avoided seeking help from specialists even though there was a need for such services was that their primary health doctor answered all their questions, the costs of said services, feeling ashamed, and the reluctance to pay or wait a long time for consultations. 4. 1 out of 6 respondents stated disappointment with the availability of mental health services. 34.7 percent think that senior citizens have a hard time getting the necessary medication (even though 15.8 percent of respondents used prescription medication for psychic health problems that were not issued by their physician. 12.4 percent thought that the prices of said medication were too high for seniors to afford. |
