An Ethnographic Study of Mental Healthcare Services for People with Mental Illness in Rural Thailand.

Little is known about access to healthcare services among people with mental illness in rural Thailand. This study describes a contextual understanding of access to mental healthcare services for people with mental illness in three selected villages located in a rural district in Northeastern Thailand. An ethnographic approach was adopted wherein in-depth interviews and site observation were conducted. In all, 14 participants were interviewed, 9 persons with mental illness and 5 caregivers, between January and July in 2017. The study described how people with a mental illness and their primary caregivers experience access to mental health services. Three major cultural theme patterns emerged during the analysis: Theme 1- family stress: avoiding repercussion from the bad experience, Theme 2 - waking before dawn: the most important rule to abide by, and Theme 3- going quickly only to remain silent and still: the duty of a good patient. This study has provided an insight into the experiences of people with mental illness accessing mental health services, which is of importance for improving the queuing system at the outpatient mental health clinic and guidelines for healthcare providers interacting with patients and their families.