Dispositions of Health Facility In-charges Towards Decentralization and Integration of Mental Health Services into Primary Health Care: A Case of Lusaka District

Introduction: Worldwide, the burden of mental illnesses poses serious public health challenges, with approximately 7.4% of the global burden attributed to mental disorders. However, many primary healthcare systems in countries around the world focus mainly on physical care and neglect to provide mental health care to their populations. In Zambia, the prevalence of mental disorders is approximately 20%, with common mental disorders including acute psychotic episodes, schizophrenia, alcohol-related problems, and organic brain syndromes. These are mainly seen in Chainama, the only mental institution in the country. The institution is highly stigmatized, and previous studies have shown that the general population does not access services at this facility as intended, leading to considerations of decentralizing these services to be integrated into primary health care. This study sought to understand the dispositions of primary health facility in-charges towards decentralization and the integration of mental health services into primary health care.