Quality of life and human rights conditions in a public psychiatric hospital in Cairo

Abstract

Purpose – There is no documented evidence on service users’ perceptions of quality of care and observance of human rights in mental health residential facilities in Egypt after the new mental health law passed in 2009. The purpose of this paper is to investigate El-Abbassia Mental Health Hospital in Cairo. Special attention is paid as to the variety of human rights violations which are experienced by the users and the context in which these violations occur. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study was performed relying on 36 depth interviews with patients, 58 staff members and 15 family members, reviews of documents and observations by an independent assessment team consisting of the author, another psychiatrist, a nurse and a family member using the World Health Organization Quality Rights Tool Kit which uses the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as its framework. Findings – The study reported empirical insights into how the steps taken by the hospital to address several of the themes drawn from the CRPD require either improvement or initiation to comply fully with the convention’s themes. Research limitations/implications – Respondents may have failed to disclose their true experiences due to fear of punishment. Practical implications – Users admitted to mental hospitals have often been forgotten, thus becoming victims of violence, neglect and other human rights violations. Social implications – An opportunity to promote public awareness of the rights of patients. Originality/value – The importance of this study came from being the first documented evidence on service users’ perceptions of quality of care and observance of human rights in mental health residential facilities in Egypt after the new mental health law passed in 2009.