The comparative analysis of psychosocial rehabilitation of older persons with mental disabilities in lithuania and great britain

In nowaday society more and more attention is paid to the mental health. This tendency is also common for Lithuania. New psychosocial rehabilitation methods and treatments are sought out. But the needs of older people with mental disabilities are still left out in Lithuania. Still there is a lack of psychosocial rehabilitation services which can help an older person with mental disability stay at his own enviroment for much longer period. The goal of this study was to analyze and evaluate services of psychosocial rehabilitation from the viewpoint of the providers of these services in the mental health institutions in Lithuania and Great Britain. Methods. In order to analyze psychosocial rehabilitation services of older persons, the survey in Vilnius‘ mental health institutions and in Great Britains‘ mental health institutions was conducted. There were two unified questionnaires developed for each group of respondents. The number of respondents was 65 (44 in Lithuania and 21 in Great Britain). Analysis has shown that there is a great lack of psychosocial rehabilitation services in Lithuania. There is a lack in variety and also in quantity. Not all the clients can get professional and specialized services they need. This research has also shown that although there are many different specialized services in Great Britain their providers still think that it is not enough. The author of this analysis suggests to analyse more deeply the services of Great Britain and the viewpoint of older people with mental disabilities about these services and institutions and to adopt successful methods and services in Lithuania