عنوان

Do Albanian mental health services meet human rights standards? :

TLets782184

Do Albanian mental health services meet human rights standards? :

[Thesis]

Loli-Dano, Laura

a critical application of the World Health Organization Quality Rights Toolkit at Albania's psychiatric hospitals

Wainwright, David

University of Bath

2019

D.Health

University of Bath

2019

Albanians endured 45 years of the rigid Hoxha Communist regime characterized by extreme poverty and violation of human rights (Muzeu i Memories, 2014; Amy, 2017). The extent to which human rights have improved in post-Communist Albania for people with mental disorders in psychiatric units, remains unknown. In order to explore the protection of service users' human rights in Psychiatric Inpatient Units at the "Ali Mihali" Psychiatric Hospital in Vlora city and "Sadik Dinci" Psychiatric Hospital in Elbasan city, Albania's largest psychiatric hospitals, (Demi and Voko, 2014), this study used an evaluative mixed-methods triangulation study design with an in-between method of triangulation (Creswell, 1994; 2014). The study utilized the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality Rights Toolkit (WHO, 2012b), based on the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (UN, 2007) to gather qualitative semi-structured one-on-one interviews, qualitative observations and reviews of records and relevant policies/guidelines. Study findings were compared against the Surgery Inpatient Units, in Vlora and Elbasan General Hospitals because of the underlining assumption of difference in quality of care and human rights protection between psychiatric settings and general health settings (WHO, 2012b). This study reported violation of negative rights/first generation rights and positive/second generation rights at the psychiatric hospitals. Lack of funding, staff stigma and lack of staff understanding of service user human rights emerged as key qualitative themes which negatively impact service user human rights in both Psychiatric Units. The presence of corruption was reported to negatively impact human rights of service users in the comparative Surgery Units at both General Hospitals. For the WHO QualityRights Toolkit to serve as a policy solution regarding quality of care and human rights protection in health care, its application warrants serious consideration of the complex socio-economic and political landscape human rights are asserted in.

Loli-Dano, Laura

Wainwright, David

University of Bath

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y