Introducing Shared Mental Health Care in Northwestern Ontario: An Analysis of Changing Referral Patterns of Primary Care Providers
This study describes a shared mental health care (SMHC) model introduced in Northern Ontario and examines how its introduction affected primary care provider (PCP) mental health referral patterns. A chart review examined referrals (N = 4,600) from 5 PCP sites to 5 outpatient community mental health services from January 2001 to December 2005. PCPs with access to SMHC made significantly more mental health referrals (p < 0.001). Two demographically similar PCPs were then compared, one co-located with SMHC. Referrals for depression to non-SMHC mental health services were 1.69 times more likely to be from the PCP not co-located with SMHC (p < 0.001). Findings suggest SMHC increases access to care and decreases demand on existing mental health services.