State patients with a lifetime sentence: a case study on the treatment and care of substance induced psychotic offenders at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital
This empirical study aims to explore the treatment model of substance-induced psychotic offenders at Valkenberg psychiatric hospital in the Western Cape. A large obstacle in terms of treatment for this population is the high rate of substance abuse further complicated by the rise of tik use in poorer rural areas in the Western Cape. The increase in comorbid substance use and mental illness burdens the already overcrowded mental health care system. Research indicates that there is no singular treatment model that can be used to treat the comorbid population. Previous work has failed to address what treatment should be used for substance-induced mentally disorders. The research is motivated to explore how Valkenberg overcomes the obstacle of substance abuse along with lack of resource allocation in their treatment of state patients. This study was a qualitative study conducted with six staff members at Valkenberg hospital who participated in open-ended interviews regarding the hospital’s treatment model. The research found that in order to improve the treatment for substance-induced psychotic offenders there needs to be an overall decrease in substance abuse throughout South Africa along with an increase in resource allocation for the mental health sector.
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