Experiences and challenges faced by community mental health workers when providing care to people with mental health conditions: A qualitative descriptive study.

The global prevalence of mental health conditions and the associated wide treatment gaps have led to increased demand for quality mental healthcare services. In Singapore, despite a shift towards a joint provision of mental healthcare in hospitals and the community, experiences of mental healthcare teams in such hospital-community partnerships have remained unclear. Through a qualitative descriptive approach, this study explored community mental health workers' experiences and perceptions of working with partners from tertiary hospitals and other community organisations. Eighteen participants were individually interviewed with a semi-structured question guide through video conferencing. This study was guided by the 32-item checklist from the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. Data were subjected to Braun and Clark's six-step thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: (i) the need for supportive partners, due to institutional and legal challenges faced in the participants' liaison with hospital partners and other community organisations; (ii) the need for a supportive organisation, whose presence and importance were revealed by the interviews; and (iii) the necessity of advanced training, identified by the participants as a contributor to their professional growth. The findings highlighted the importance of inter-sectoral communication and positive effects of a robust organisational support system. Accordingly, hospitals and community mental healthcare organisations should consider strengthening networking and boosting case discussions through regular inter-sectoral meetings that would prioritise the clients' continuity of care. Furthermore, opportunities for advanced trainings should be created for community-based mental healthcare workers.