Still in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitals
Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the location of acute mental health inpatient units in general hospitals by mapping their location relative to hospital facilities and community facilities and to compare their proximity to hospital facilities with that of general medical acute units....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-09004-z |
| _version_ | 1797952636202254336 |
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| author | Anne Lian Gawen Carr Debbie Peterson Gabrielle Jenkin Helen Lockett Susanna Every-Palmer Ruth Cunningham |
| author_facet | Anne Lian Gawen Carr Debbie Peterson Gabrielle Jenkin Helen Lockett Susanna Every-Palmer Ruth Cunningham |
| author_sort | Anne Lian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the location of acute mental health inpatient units in general hospitals by mapping their location relative to hospital facilities and community facilities and to compare their proximity to hospital facilities with that of general medical acute units. Methods We obtained Google maps and hospital site maps for all New Zealand public hospitals. Geographic data were analysed and mental health units’ locations in relation to hospital facilities and public amenities were mapped. Radar plots were constructed comparing acute medical and mental health units’ locations in relation to hospital facilities. Results Twenty-two mental health units were identified. They were located predominantly at the periphery of hospital campuses, but also at a distance from community facilities. Compared to acute medical units, mental health units were almost universally located further from shared hospital facilities – with distances approximately three times further to reach the main hospital entrance (2.7 times distance), the nearest public café (3.4 times), the emergency department (2.4 times), and medical imaging (3.3 times). Conclusion Despite the reforms of the 20th Century, mental health units still appear to occupy a liminal space; neither fully integrated into the hospital, nor part of the community. The findings warrant further investigation to understand the impact of these structural factors on parity of health care provision between mental and physical health care and the ability of mental health care services to support recovery. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:49:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-962a42298d5d4cd089dcc989e0a4dc75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:49:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-962a42298d5d4cd089dcc989e0a4dc752023-01-15T12:07:47ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632023-01-0123111010.1186/s12913-022-09004-zStill in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitalsAnne Lian0Gawen Carr1Debbie Peterson2Gabrielle Jenkin3Helen Lockett4Susanna Every-Palmer5Ruth Cunningham6Department of Public Health, University of Otago WellingtonMental Health Addictions and Intellectual Disability Service, Capital and Coast DHBDepartment of Public Health, University of Otago WellingtonDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago WellingtonWISE GroupDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago WellingtonDepartment of Public Health, University of Otago WellingtonAbstract Background This study aimed to explore the location of acute mental health inpatient units in general hospitals by mapping their location relative to hospital facilities and community facilities and to compare their proximity to hospital facilities with that of general medical acute units. Methods We obtained Google maps and hospital site maps for all New Zealand public hospitals. Geographic data were analysed and mental health units’ locations in relation to hospital facilities and public amenities were mapped. Radar plots were constructed comparing acute medical and mental health units’ locations in relation to hospital facilities. Results Twenty-two mental health units were identified. They were located predominantly at the periphery of hospital campuses, but also at a distance from community facilities. Compared to acute medical units, mental health units were almost universally located further from shared hospital facilities – with distances approximately three times further to reach the main hospital entrance (2.7 times distance), the nearest public café (3.4 times), the emergency department (2.4 times), and medical imaging (3.3 times). Conclusion Despite the reforms of the 20th Century, mental health units still appear to occupy a liminal space; neither fully integrated into the hospital, nor part of the community. The findings warrant further investigation to understand the impact of these structural factors on parity of health care provision between mental and physical health care and the ability of mental health care services to support recovery.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-09004-zmental health servicesaccessibilityintegrated caresevere mental illnesslocationhospital services |
| spellingShingle | Anne Lian Gawen Carr Debbie Peterson Gabrielle Jenkin Helen Lockett Susanna Every-Palmer Ruth Cunningham Still in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitals BMC Health Services Research mental health services accessibility integrated care severe mental illness location hospital services |
| title | Still in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitals |
| title_full | Still in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitals |
| title_fullStr | Still in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Still in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitals |
| title_short | Still in the shadows: a national study of acute mental health unit location across New Zealand hospitals |
| title_sort | still in the shadows a national study of acute mental health unit location across new zealand hospitals |
| topic | mental health services accessibility integrated care severe mental illness location hospital services |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-09004-z |
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