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A novel prison mental health in-reach service in Somaliland: a model for low-income countries?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Jibril I. M. Handuleh  and
Ronan J. Mclvor
Jibril I. M. Handuleh
Affiliation:
Amoud University School of Medicine, Somaliland
Ronan J. Mclvor
Affiliation:
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London School of Medicine, UK, email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Prison in-reach mental health services are reasonably well developed in advanced economies, but virtually nonexistent in low-and middle-income countries. We describe the development of a small prison in-reach project in Somaliland, a self-declared independent state which has experienced conflict and poverty in equal measure. After careful planning and cooperation with local agencies, the service provides sessional input to a regional prison, including assessment and treatment of a wide range of psychiatric conditions. The project has had some unexpected benefits, which are described. The success of the project reflects the effectiveness of collaboration between local stakeholders and international agencies, and could be used as a model for the development of in-reach services in other low-income countries.

Type
Thematic papers
Information
International Psychiatry , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , August 2014 , pp. 61 - 64
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits noncommercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists 2014

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