Qualitative Assessment of Access to Community Mental Health Centers from the Perspectives of Patients, Patient Relatives, and Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate access to Community Mental Health Centers and the experience of services provided at these centers from the perspectives of patients, their relatives, and healthcare personnel. Method: A phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research designs, was employed, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. A total of 15 participants—5 patients, 5 patient relatives, and 5 healthcare professionals—registered at a Community Mental Health Center in Istanbul were selected through purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted using 15 semi-structured, open-ended questions, five per group. Results: The analysis yielded two main themes: "views on Community Mental Health Centers" and "activities/therapeutic events/patient behaviors." The first theme, examined under five subcategories, revealed how the services are perceived at individual and societal levels. The second theme, comprising six subcategories, demonstrated the effects of social and therapeutic activities on patient behaviors along with participants' observations and assessments. Conclusion: Healthcare personnel contributed to service quality and positive support of patient behaviors by evaluating the system holistically. Patient relatives adopted a more critical stance regarding the effectiveness of services and voluntary participation, expecting more visible outcomes. Patients focused on their own experiences—loneliness, socialization, reasons for seeking care, and behavioral changes—indicating that Community Mental Health Centers constitute an important social space for individual well-being.