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Planting seed
for developing community mental health services nationwide:
A community-based mental health demonstration project during
the armed conflict in Croatia
Boris Budosan*
and Melita Stipancic
Vocarsko Naselje 22, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
bbudosan@yahoo.com.
Tel: +385-1-46-16-267.
Fax ++385-1-23-20-298.
Accepted 25 February, 2010 |
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250,000 people were displaced within Croatia as a result of
the armed conflict in the period from 1991- 1995. This also
created an additional burden on the Croatian mental health
system. The openings of many community-based mental health
and psychosocial programs suppported by the international
community in Croatia at that time created an oppportunity to
further development of Croatian community mental health
services. This paper describes the „Center for Attitudinal
Healing“ (CAH) mental health / psychosocial program with
the overall objective to plant a seed for the development of
community mental health services in Croatia. Specific
objectives of the program were: (1) to support people in
their emotional recovery from catastrophic events; (2) to
train and manage a large cadre of volunteers in mental
health / psychosocial support skills, and (3) to provide
workshops, trainings and peer-support groups focused on
mental health / psychosocial issues. Both qualitative and
quantitative data collection methods were used for the
purpose of program evaluation. Qualitative data collection
methods included open-ended semi structured in-depth
interviews, structured focus groups, and unstructured
participant observation performed by the external evaluator.
Quantitative data collection method included a survey of
program beneficiaries.The results showed that the program
was successful in promoting peer-support approach and
improving mental health /psychosocial wellbeing of
beneficiaries in three targeted areas in Croatia. It was not
successful in planting seed for the development of community
mental health services nationwide because of poor linkages
with the Croatian government health sector and lack of
financial sustainabilty.
Key words:
Psychosocial, mental health, community, conflict, internally
displaced people,refugees,Croatia. |
