MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE CARE OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
Keywords:
multidisciplinary approach, mental illness, social workAbstract
Mental illness affects all spheres of an individual's functioning, having a negative impact on his ability to fulfill his work, family, and social roles. Its burden is experienced both by the person himself and by his family, having an impact on the community. It is expressed in the occurrence of restrictions and lost benefits. Pharmacological treatment, by itself, is not able to bring about a complete recovery. Support is needed to improve the individual's skills in different areas of his life, which requires a multidisciplinary and complex approach in providing care.
The report presents the results of a literature review examining the possibilities of implementing a multidisciplinary approach in the care and treatment of persons with mental illness. The conditions for effective cooperation between individual specialists and the role of the social worker have been studied. The results identify social work as one of the main element in achieving complexity in the provision of support and sustainability of recovery outcomes. The social worker, as part of the multidisciplinary team, has an essential role in the process of assessment, planning, ensuring cooperation between individual specialists, supporting the active participation of the person with a mental illness in treatment and rehabilitation. The coordination and integration of the individual aspects of support increase its activity many times, which is expressed in improved well-being and quality of life of the person and his family.
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