What Patients and Carers Want to Know: An Exploration of Information and Resource Needs in Adult Mental Health Services

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 507-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Cleary ◽  
Adele Freeman ◽  
Glenn E. Hunt ◽  
Garry Walter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Baseline Data ◽  
Number Of Patients

Objective: The objectives of this study were to: (i) obtain baseline data on the extent of carer involvement across a representative sample of hospital and community patients within an integrated area health service; and (ii) examine perspectives on discharge planning and community care among patients and their carers to identify information and resources they consider important. Method: Over a 4-month period, inpatients before discharge and patients accessing community mental health services participated in face-to-face interviews. Information was collected about carer involvement and, with the patient's consent, the identified carer was sent a similar survey to determine demographics and information needs. This resulted in a representative sample of patients and carers accessing inpatient and community settings acrossa metropolitan mental health service. Support needs and carerburden were also assessed but are not reported here. Results: A total of 407 interviews were completed, 207 in inpatient settings and 200 in the community. An inpatient response rate of 70% and a community response rate of 75% was achieved. Across both settings, 67% of patients identified a carer and a carer response rate of 28% was then obtained. We found carers and patients have different priorities regarding the information they want and information is often not provided to carers. Furthermore, patients were more confident in their ability to manage their mental health in the community than carers. Conclusions: This study yielded important baseline data about the number of patients who have a carer. We were also able to determine that routine clinical information provided to patients and carers is inadequate from their perspective. It is anticipated that this initiative will assist ongoing service planning and improve partnerships with patients and their carers.

scholarly journals Allocation of referrals within a child and adolescent mental health service

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 487-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Roberts ◽  
Ian Partridge
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health Service ◽  
Multi Disciplinary Team

Long waiting lists are a common problem in child and adolescent mental health services. We describe how referrals to the service in York are considered and allocated by a multi-disciplinary team. The criteria for allocation to different professionals and specialist teams are described and data representing a snapshot of referrals and response rate over a three-month period presented, showing that most referrals are seen within two months. We postulate that consideration of referrals in this way is an effective and efficient way of running a service.

A Health Service and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnership to Develop and Plan Mental Health Services

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Salisbury
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Medical Setting ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Torres Strait

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an action research partnership between the Tweed Valley Health Service (TVHS) and the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community for the development and delivery of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Services. This partnership was based upon Labonte's (1989) view of empowerment where it is suggested that to be empowered means to have increased capacity to define, analyse and act upon one's problems. It was proposed that the establishment of a 'partnership' based upon these principles would assist in operationalising Indigenous community participation in TVHS planning. To achieve this type of 'partnership', the health service had to be willing to enter the partnership and to give the authority to the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Outcome Council to seek and trial solutions on Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Mental Health matters. Key outcomes were defined as the extent to which the re-organised services proved to be acceptable and utilised by the local Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander population. Outcomes were operationalised through measures of service utilisation and consumer satisfaction with accessibility, process and outcomes. The study trialed participatory action research as a method for Indigenous participation in Mental Health Service planning and development and concludes that it is a valid model for cross cultural research and health service development in a complex medical setting.

scholarly journals Forget Me Not: Mental Health Services for Older People

2000 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 403-404
Author(s):  
Susan M. Benbow ◽  
Sean P. Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
National Service ◽  
National Service Framework ◽  
Service Framework

The exclusion of services for older people from the Mental Health National Service Framework and the delays in publication of the National Service Framework for the elderly have caused many old age psychiatrists to be concerned that, as in many other areas of health service planning and provision, the needs of older people are not being adequately addressed by Government and health service planners. The recent Audit Commission Report, entitled Forget Me Not: Mental Health Services for Older People†, gives us much encouragement that the needs of older adults have not been forgotten. Its recent publication should provide an authoritative focus, which will help old age psychiatrists, their multi-disciplinary and management colleagues and commissioners of services to push forward improvements in services for older people with mental illnesses.

Service utilisation: a pivotal measure in assessing service needs and service outcome

1997 ◽  
Vol 6 (S1) ◽  
pp. 105-112
Author(s):  
Mirella Ruggeri
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Utilization ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Service Need

In past years the study of service utilization has given a great contribution to the evaluation of mental health services. Nowadays, the challenge that must be faced is to obtain from service utilization research useful knowledge for clinical practice and service planning.Psychiatric care organization should be based on coherent and comprehensive assessments of the population's morbidity and needs for care, and take into account costs and benefits of different forms of treatments in relieving mental disorders and meeting mental health needs. While the former issue has been widely studied, the last two are mostly unexplored. Specifically, there is limited amount of information available on the significance that certain patterns of service utilization, or changes in service utilization, may have for the patient, his/her relatives and the community, and on the correlation between certain characteristics of service utilization and the overall quality of care.In this perspective, service utilization must not be considered an isolated step in the patient's career; the causal link between needs, use, and outcome of services should be identified. A full understanding of the role of service utilization in psychiatry thus necessitates taking into consideration events occurring at various steps of a person's history:step 1: a person develops a mental disorder;step 2: in certain cases this will determine a mental health service need;step 3: in certain cases the service need will determine mental health service utilization;step 4: use of mental health services will have a certain outcome.

School Settings

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa K. Holt ◽  
Jennifer Greif Green ◽  
Javier Guzman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Mental Health Service Provision

Schools are a primary setting for mental health service provision to youth and are also main sources of referral to community mental health service providers. This chapter examines the school context and its key role in the child and adolescent mental health services system. The chapter first provides information about the association of emotional and behavioral disorders with school experiences, including academic performance. Next, the chapter presents a framework for mental health service provision and assessment in schools, including describing methods for identifying students who might need mental health services and tracking their progress. Further, several evidence-based interventions are highlighted as examples of effective practices in schools. The chapter concludes with recommendations for clinical practice in school settings.

scholarly journals Higher Rates of Untreated Distress in Older Versus Younger Adults With Indolent Lymphoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 466-466
Author(s):  
Kelly Trevino ◽  
Peter Martin ◽  
John Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Mental Health Service Use ◽  
Health Service Use ◽  
Younger Adults

Abstract Indolent lymphomas are incurable but slow-growing cancers, resulting in a large number of older adults living with these diseases. Patients typically live with their illness for years with the knowledge that disease progression is likely. Yet, little is known about psychological distress in this population. This study examined rates of and the relationship between distress and mental health service use in older and younger adults with indolent lymphomas. Adult patients diagnosed with an indolent lymphoma (e.g., follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma) within the past six months completed self-report surveys of distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS) and mental health service use since the cancer diagnosis (yes/no). Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and chi-square analyses were used to examine study questions. The sample (n=84) included 35 patients 65 years or older. Across the entire sample, 21.4% screened positive for distress on the HADS; 58.8% of these patients did not receive mental health services. Older adults reported lower distress levels than younger adults (17.1% v. 24.5%; p=.038). Among younger adults, 50% of distressed patients received mental health services; only 20% of distressed older adults received mental health services. Distress was associated with mental health service use in younger adults (p=.004) but not in older adults (p=.17). Older adults with indolent lymphomas have higher levels of untreated distress than younger adults. Research on the mechanisms underlying these age differences (e.g., stigma toward mental health services, ageism) would inform interventions to increase rates of mental health service use and reduce care disparities due to age.

scholarly journals Remote care for mental health: qualitative study with service users, carers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e049210
Author(s):  
Elisa Liberati ◽  
Natalie Richards ◽  
Jennie Parker ◽  
Janet Willars ◽  
David Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Remote Care

ObjectivesTo explore the experiences of service users, carers and staff seeking or providing secondary mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignQualitative interview study, codesigned with mental health service users and carers.MethodsWe conducted semistructured, telephone or online interviews with a purposively constructed sample; a lived experience researcher conducted and analysed interviews with service users. Analysis was based on the constant comparison method.SettingNational Health Service (NHS) secondary mental health services in England between June and August 2020.ParticipantsOf 65 participants, 20 had either accessed or needed to access English secondary mental healthcare during the pandemic; 10 were carers of people with mental health difficulties; 35 were members of staff working in NHS secondary mental health services during the pandemic.ResultsExperiences of remote care were mixed. Some service users valued the convenience of remote methods in the context of maintaining contact with familiar clinicians. Most participants commented that a lack of non-verbal cues and the loss of a therapeutic ‘safe space’ challenged therapeutic relationship building, assessments and identification of deteriorating mental well-being. Some carers felt excluded from remote meetings and concerned that assessments were incomplete without their input. Like service users, remote methods posed challenges for clinicians who reported uncertainty about technical options and a lack of training. All groups expressed concern about intersectionality exacerbating inequalities and the exclusion of some service user groups if alternatives to remote care are lost.ConclusionsThough remote mental healthcare is likely to become increasingly widespread in secondary mental health services, our findings highlight the continued importance of a tailored, personal approach to decision making in this area. Further research should focus on which types of consultations best suit face-to-face interaction, and for whom and why, and which can be provided remotely and by which medium.

scholarly journals Mental health services for war-affected children

2003 ◽  
Vol 183 (6) ◽  
pp. 540-546
Author(s):  
Lynne Jones ◽  
Alban Rrustemi ◽  
Mimoza Shahini ◽  
Aferdita Uka
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Educational Role ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health Service ◽  
Local Actors

BackgroundIn war-affected societies it is assumed that the major mental health problem facing the population will be stress reactions.AimsTo describe the creation of a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) in Kosovo after the military conflict ended in 1999, and to establish the range of problems and diagnoses that presented.MethodData were collected on 559 patients over 2 years, including their referring problems and diagnoses.ResultsStress-related disorders constituted only a fifth of the case-load in year 1. A substantial number of patients were symptom-free but attended because they had been exposed to atraumatic event, and believed it might make them ill. Non-organic enuresis and learning disability were the most common diagnoses in year 2. Many patients had a complex mix of social and psychological difficulties that did not fit conventional diagnostic categories.ConclusionsMental health services that only address traumatic stress may fail to meet the needs of war-affected children. A comprehensive, culturally appropriate CAMHS is needed to address a wide range of problems including learning disability. It should be developed through local actors, and build on existing local infrastructure. Services can also have an educational role in ‘depathologising’ normative responses.

scholarly journals The impact of strengthening mental health services to prevent suicidal behaviour

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 642-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo-An Atkinson ◽  
Andrew Page ◽  
Mark Heffernan ◽  
Geoff McDonnell ◽  
Ante Prodan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Suicidal Behaviour ◽  
Attempted Suicide ◽  
Service Capacity ◽  
Forecast Period ◽  
Hospital Staffing

Objective: Successive suicide prevention frameworks and action plans in Australia and internationally have called for improvements to mental health services and enhancement of workforce capacity. However, there is debate regarding the priorities for resource allocation and the optimal combination of mental health services to best prevent suicidal behaviour. This study investigates the potential impacts of service capacity improvements on the incidence of suicidal behaviour in the Australian context. Methods: A system dynamics model was developed to investigate the optimal combination of (1) secondary (acute) mental health service capacity, (2) non-secondary (non-acute) mental health service capacity and (3) resources to re-engage those lost to services on the incidence of suicidal behaviour over the period 2018–2028 for the Greater Western Sydney (Australia) population catchment. The model captured population and behavioural dynamics and mental health service referral pathways and was validated using population survey and administrative data, evidence syntheses and an expert stakeholder group. Results: Findings suggest that 28% of attempted suicide and 29% of suicides could be averted over the forecast period based on a combination of increases in (1) hospital staffing (with training in trauma-informed care), (2) non-secondary health service capacity, (3) expansion of mental health assessment capacity and (4) re-engagement of at least 45% of individuals lost to services. Reduction in the number of available psychiatric beds by 15% had no substantial impact on the incidence of attempted suicide and suicide over the forecast period. Conclusion: This study suggests that more than one-quarter of suicides and attempted suicides in the Greater Western Sydney population catchment could potentially be averted with a combination of increases to hospital staffing and non-secondary (non-acute) mental health care. Reductions in tertiary care services (e.g. psychiatric hospital beds) in combination with these increases would not adversely affect subsequent incidence of suicidal behaviour.

scholarly journals Mental health services for war-affected children

2003 ◽  
Vol 183 (06) ◽  
pp. 540-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Jones ◽  
Alban Rrustemi ◽  
Mimoza Shahini ◽  
Aferdita Uka
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Educational Role ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health Service ◽  
Local Actors

Background In war-affected societies it is assumed that the major mental health problem facing the population will be stress reactions. Aims To describe the creation of a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) in Kosovo after the military conflict ended in 1999, and to establish the range of problems and diagnoses that presented. Method Data were collected on 559 patients over 2 years, including their referring problems and diagnoses. Results Stress-related disorders constituted only a fifth of the case-load in year 1. A substantial number of patients were symptom-free but attended because they had been exposed to atraumatic event, and believed it might make them ill. Non-organic enuresis and learning disability were the most common diagnoses in year 2. Many patients had a complex mix of social and psychological difficulties that did not fit conventional diagnostic categories. Conclusions Mental health services that only address traumatic stress may fail to meet the needs of war-affected children. A comprehensive, culturally appropriate CAMHS is needed to address a wide range of problems including learning disability. It should be developed through local actors, and build on existing local infrastructure. Services can also have an educational role in ‘depathologising’ normative responses.

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