Arusha Mental Health Trust

The psychiatric service provides diagnosis and treatment of significant psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, psychoses, severe depression, bipolar disorder). Due to the fact that there is no psychiatrist in our department we refer patients to psychiatrists elsewhere as appropriate.  For those persons who do not have access to a qualified psychiatrist, medications are made available and are monitored by qualified members of the AMHT staff, which include a medical doctor and a registered nurse with a specialty in psychiatry. We also cooperate in psychiatric care with the Governmental Nurses of Mt Meru Hospital, who have their own room in our department where they run their own outpatient mental health clinic.

 

What is a psychiatrist exactly?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors with a speciality in diseases and medications which address organic illness. Medication is always handled by trained medical staff, not by psychologists.

 

Peer support group for parents of children with Schizophrenia

Since April 2011 we host a peer support group for parents or direct caregivers with one or more children with schizophrenia. It is a success. The support group provides a forum for families and caregivers to give and receive emotional and practical support, as well as to exchange information and share experiences about the difficulties in taking care of family members suffering from schizophrenia. In the group, mental health clinicians will be available to teach families more about the disease and its treatment, and give support in dealing with serious mental illness. We believe that when you create a healthy and stable environment for the patient, the patient will benefit from this and the whole family will be more peaceful and stable. The meetings will take place regularly at the mental health department of Mt Meru Hospital.

 

For more information about making an appointment, please click here