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Community mental health centers (CMHCs) provide the majority of mental health services for low-income individuals in the United States. Exposure and response prevention (ERP), the psychotherapy of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is rarely delivered in CMHCs. This study aimed to establish the acceptability and feasibility of testing a behavioral therapy team (BTT) intervention to deliver ERP in CMHCs. BTT consisted of individual information-gathering sessions followed by 12 weeks of group ERP and concurrent home-based coaching sessions. The sample consisted of 47 low-income individuals with OCD who were randomized to receive BTT or treatment as usual (TAU). Symptom severity and quality-of-life measures were assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3- and 6-month posttreatment. Feasibility of training CMHC staff was partially successful. CMHC therapists successfully completed rigorous training and delivered ERP with high fidelity. However, training paraprofessionals as ERP coaches was more challenging. ERP was feasible and acceptable to patients. BTT participants were more likely than TAU participants to attend their first therapy session and attended significantly more treatment sessions. A large between-group effect size was observed for reduction in OCD symptoms at posttreatment but differences were not maintained across 3- and 6-month follow-ups. For BTT participants, within-group effect sizes reflecting change from baseline to posttreatment were large. For TAU participants, depression scores did not change during the active treatment phase but gradually improved during follow-up. Results support feasibility and acceptability of ERP for this patient population. Findings also underscore the importance of implementation frameworks to help understand factors that impact training professionals.

Background: Treatment gap causes significant loss to individuals, families, societies and the nation. Treatment adherence enhancement is a major challenge in psychiatric disorders. Globally, the community mental health services are obligated to minimize the treatment and adherence gap. In recent years’ retrospective studies are gaining importance to measure the trend of mental health service utilization, cost effectiveness, resources allocation and similar aspects. Aim: To explore the treatment adherence pattern of persons with neuropsychiatric illness from a rural community mental health centre. Method: Five hundred and ninety-six medical records of persons with neuropsychiatric disorders who registered for outpatient treatment between 2015 and 2017 at Sakalawara Rural mental health centre of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, India, were reviewed to understand their adherence pattern Results: Out of 596 patients, 68 (11.4%) were referred to tertiary care mental health and District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) services. Out of the remaining 528 patients, 29.7% were regular to mental health services over a period of 12 months and above; majority of the patients (36.2%) dropped out of their treatment after their first contact and 34.1% discontinued their follow up visits over a period of first week to 12 months. Conclusion: Community based mental health centres too face challenges of and problems related to treatment non-adherence. Persons with neuropsychiatric disorders require continuity of care through regular home visits, out-reach services and innovative methods which will enhance treatment adherence.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical HIV prevention modality that is up to 99% effective in preventing HIV acquisition through sex if taken as directed. People with serious mental illness (eg, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) are at high risk of acquiring HIV due to sexual behaviours, injection drug use, social factors, and structural discrimination that limits access to all types of preventive health services. We seek to show the importance of prioritising access to PrEP for people living with serious mental illness treated in community mental health settings. We describe barriers to prescribing PrEP, including provider attitudes and provider knowledge gaps, patient attitudes and knowledge, and systems issues. We also address the concerns that community mental health clinic administrators might have about taking on the responsibility of offering PrEP. In summary, despite the barriers to prescribing PrEP in these settings, we believe that there is a unique opportunity for community mental health settings to help address the HIV epidemic by facilitating the prescribing of PrEP to the at-risk populations they currently serve.

Describe the implementation of the Continuity of Care and Rehabilitation Program (PCC-R) in community mental health centers (CSMCs, Spanish acronym) in Peru.Qualitative study of the implementation of the PCC-R in four CSMCs in Lima and La Libertad, Peru. Forty-two individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, as well as a focus group with five participants, for a total of 47 informants, including users, family members, and professionals involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of the program.The PCC-R is a key program for community mental health services in Peru and it enjoys broad acceptability. Providers and users report satisfaction with its results; however, the program lacks a policy document specifying its objectives, organization, and activities. This would explain the variability in its implementation. The PCC-R has limitations in terms of management of financial and human resources, and it is necessary to improve training and supervision. There is consensus on the need, usefulness, and viability of developing a system to monitor the PCC-R. Good practices and suggestions are presented with a view to addressing these challenges.The PCC-R is a flagship program for the CSMCs and for the mental health reform in Peru. It has achieved broad acceptability among providers and users. Its implementation combines successes and difficulties, with pending tasks that include developing a policy document, improving resource management, strengthening training and supervision, and implementing a monitoring system for continuous improvement of the program.Descrever a implementação do Programa de Continuidade de Cuidados e Reabilitação (PCC-R) em centros de saúde mental comunitária (CSMCs) do Peru.Estudo qualitativo sobre a implementação do PCC-R em quatro CSMCs em Lima e La Libertad, no Peru. Realizamos 42 entrevistas semiestruturadas individuais e um grupo focal com cinco participantes, com um total de 47 participantes, entre usuários, familiares e profissionais envolvidos na elaboração, implementação e monitoramento do PCC-R.O PCC-R é um programa central dos serviços de saúde mental comunitária no Peru, conta com ampla aceitabilidade e os prestadores e usuários dizem estar satisfeitos com seus resultados. No entanto, o programa não possui um documento normativo que detalhe os seus objetivos, organização e atividades, o que pode explicar a variabilidade em sua aplicação. Existem limitações na gestão dos recursos financeiros e humanos do PCC-R e necessidades de capacitação e supervisão, que devem ser melhoradas. Há consenso sobre a necessidade, utilidade e viabilidade de se desenvolver um sistema de monitoramento do PCC-R. Apresentamos aqui um conjunto de boas práticas e sugestões para enfrentar esses desafios.O PCC-R é um programa emblemático dos CSMCs e da reforma da saúde mental no Peru, tendo obtido ampla aceitação entre prestadores e usuários. A sua implementação combina acertos e dificuldades e revela tarefas pendentes, tais como o desenvolvimento de um documento normativo, uma melhor gestão de recursos, o reforço da capacitação e supervisão e a aplicação de um sistema de monitoramento para fomentar a melhoria contínua do programa.

Purpose This study was conducted to determine the effect of a plant cultivating program carried out in a community mental health center (CMHC) on the functional remission levels of individuals with schizophrenia. Materials and methods The study was carried out as experimental research in pretest-posttest with control group design. Eighty individuals being followed up and treated at two CMHCs were randomly assigned to an intervention and a control group. The plant cultivating program, containing a theoretical and a practical sequence, was conducted for six weeks in the intervention group. The effectiveness of the program was assessed with the Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia (FROGS) scale. Results The individuals participating in the program registered a significant increase in their FROGS scale overall scores as compared to the control group following the program. After the program, the intervention group's social, health, daily skills and professional functioning posttest scores were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion The plant cultivating program applied to individuals with schizophrenia at the CMHCs positively resulted in an improvement in their functional remission. The nurse-led plant cultivating program conducted at the CMHCs was observed to be an effective and applicable program that would improve the social, health, daily skills and professional functioning of individuals with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Practice innovation requires adequate organizational resources. Electronic health records (EHRs) are a key organizational resource impacting routine practice delivery, though their capacity to support practice innovation in mental health is largely unknown. This study examined the influence of EHR availability on community mental health clinic (CMHC) providers’ fidelity to Person-Centered Care Planning (PCCP), an emergent practice that integrates person-centered principles into the mental health service planning process. METHODS: Participants included direct providers and supervisors implementing PCCP in 7 CMHCs. Fidelity to PCCP was measured using chart reviews of 378 service plans across 3 timepoints. Mixed effect regression models examined the influence of EHR availability on fidelity to PCCP at each timepoint. RESULTS: Findings suggest EHRs didn’t influence PCCP delivery at baseline but was positively associated with fidelity post-implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that EHRs are an organizational resource that can support practice innovation in mental health when paired with clinic-wide implementation efforts.

Amaç: Çalışma bir toplum ruh sağlığı merkezinde izlenen hastaların tıbbi tedaviye uyum durumlarınındeğerlendirilmesi amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Tanımlayıcı tipte olan araştırma Mart–Haziran 2016 tarihleri arasında Bartın ilinde yer alan birtoplum ruh sağlığı merkezine kayıtlı 100 hasta ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler Kişisel Bilgi Formu ve Tıbbi TedaviyeUyum Oranı Ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Veriler tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Mann Whitney U testi, Kruskal-Wallistesti ve Spearman korelasyon analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir.Bulgular: Yaş ortalaması 37,9±11,9 olan hastaların %54’ü şizofreni tanılı bireylerden oluşmakta, %59’u ilaçlarıkonusunda bilgi sahibi ve çoğunluğu (%92) ilaçlarını kendisi almaktadır. Hastaların %66’sı toplum ruh sağlığımerkezine haftada birkaç gün ve %53’ü iki yıldan daha fazladır devam etmektedir. Hastaların tıbbi tedaviye uyum puanortalamasının 7,96±1,78 olduğu ve hastaların %69’unun tıbbi tedaviye yüksek uyum gösterdiği belirlenmiştir.Hastaların yaşı, cinsiyeti, medeni durumu, hastalığı, merkeze geliş sıklığı gibi özelliklerde uyum açısından bir farkbulunmamıştır (her biri için p>0,05). Çalışmada, çalışan, ilaçları ile ilgili bilgi sahibi olan ve ilaçlarını kendisi alanhastalarda tedaviye uyumun anlamlı olarak daha yüksek olduğu saptanmıştır (her biri için p

Purpose The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and mindfulness-based psychoeducation given to schizophrenic patients for increasing insight. Design and methods This study was conducted as pre-experimental single group pretest-posttest model in a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) located in the city center of Balikesir, Turkey, with 55 patients. Findings In patients graduating from university, posttest mean score of overall Beck Cognitive Insight Scale was higher than its pretest mean score and the difference between the mean scores was statistically significant (P Practical implications It is recommended to place mindfulness-based psychoeducation programs into routine treatment in CMHCs to increase the insight of schizophrenic patients.

Both organizational culture and climate are associated with service quality and outcomes across youth-service settings. Increasing evidence indicates capacity of organizational interventions to promote a positive and effective culture and climate. Less is known about common intervention components across studies and service settings. The current systematic review reviewed 9,223 citations and identified 31 studies, across six youth-service settings, measuring changes over time in organizational culture and climate following implementation of an organizational or workforce support intervention. Results highlight the promise of organizational interventions, a need for more comparison and randomized designs, and future directions for maximizing capacity of organizations to promote health for frontline providers and the children they serve.

PURPOSE The study was conducted to determine the levels of functional recovery and quality of life (QOL) among a group of patients suffering from schizophrenia treated at a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) and to evaluate the relationship between these two treatment outcomes. DESIGN AND METHODS This observational study was implemented among 132 patients affected by schizophrenia treated at a CMHC in Turkey. FINDINGS A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the general and subscale mean scores of the functional remission of general schizophrenia scale and the mean score of all domains of the World Health Organization QOL (r = 0.63-0.33; P

One of the most important indicators evaluating the effectiveness of community mental health centers is the decrease in hospitalization rates of registered patients. The aim of our study was to compare the annual hospitalization rates of patients receiving community mental health services before enrollment with the annual hospitalization rates after enrollment. The study included 400 patients with a registration period of at least 1 year as of the end of 2018. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to test the significance of the difference between pre-registration and post-registration patients’ annual hospitalizations. The annual hospitalization rates (0.32 ± 0.35) and the annual hospitalization rates (0.15 ± 0.35) before and after registration were found to be statistically significant (p

This study employed a citizenship measure to explore mental health providers' views of citizenship to support the societal participation of people with mental illnesses, with citizenship defined as a person's (or people's) strong connection to the 5Rs of rights, responsibilities, roles, resources and relationships and a sense of belonging that is validated by others. Providers identified key structural barriers to full citizenship for clients. Their comments reflect openness to citizenship as a framework for understanding their clients and the need for greater access to normative community life, but also skepticism regarding providers' and public mental health centers' abilities to incorporate citizenship approaches in current care models. Findings suggest there are challenges to implementing "citizenship-oriented care" in public mental health settings, but efforts to address these challenges can support the goal of "a life in the community."

Incarcerated individuals are a vulnerable population who face not only high rates of mental disorders, substance use disorders, and other chronic medical conditions but also widespread social stigmatization. These patients occasionally present for treatment in community health care settings, including mental health facilities, where staff that do not often provide care for incarcerated patients may be unprepared for their visits. This column examines whether treatment of incarcerated patients should be managed differently than treatment of other patients at community mental health facilities and provides suggestions for clinical management.

Introduction: Antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) and high dose (APHD) remain a common practice in the treatment of severe mental illness, even though they are not supported by current international guidelines. Methods: We aimed to establish the prescribing patterns of antipsychotics in a community mental health service in a rural setting, to determine the prevalence of APP and APHD treatment and to identify associated factors. Results: We identified 284 patients. APP was present in 46.5% patients and was associated to younger age, single status, more previous psychiatric admissions, and anticholinergic prescription. Prescription of APHD was observed in 14.4% patients and was associated with previous inpatient admissions, being prescribed with a first generation long‑acting injectable antipsychotic and anticholinergics. We also found that APP and APHD were mutually associated. Conclusion: Despite current guidelines, we found prevalences of APP and APHD of 46.5% and 14.4%, respectively. Further studies are necessary to better evaluate the antipsychotic prescription patterns in Portugal.

Our initiation of a reverse-integration practice model revealed numerous advantages and rewards, as well as many challenges, for which we found solutions.

Introduction The Brazilian psychiatric reform has revolutionized the way that mental health care is provided all over the country, introducing the Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) and encouraging care at liberty. The CAPS have been assigned many objectives, such as prevention of hospitalizations and intervention in crises or suicide. This paper aims to describe the correlation between the implementation of CAPS and the rates of psychiatric hospitalizations and suicides from 2008 to 2018. Methods This study has an ecological time series design and included residents of the city of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, who were hospitalized through the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). The data were obtained from official databases (DATASUS, CNES, and IBGE) and indicators were calculated (CAPS coverage, hospitalization rate, and suicide rate). Associations between the indicators were tested using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Results We found a negative correlation between provision of CAPS and psychiatric hospitalizations (r = -0.607 p = 0.048). Conclusion These results support the hypothesis that there is a negative correlation between implementation of the CAPS and psychiatric hospitalizations. This reinforces the importance of implementing policies related to improving psychiatric reform.

Purpose This study evaluates the effect of a 10-week psychoeducation program (PP) on disease burden, depression, and anxiety levels in relatives of psychotic patients. Design and methods The participants were 43 relatives of patients attending a community mental health center. The Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to collect psychometric data. Findings Administering the PP to caregivers significantly reduced their ZCBS, BAI, and BDI scores. Practice implications We recommend integrating the PP into treatment and rehabilitation programs within the scope of psychiatric-care services.

Resumo Objetivo: Analisar os gastos com internações psiquiátricas no estado de São Paulo, Brasil, nos anos de 2014 e 2019. Métodos: Estudo ecológico descritivo, com análise de dados das internações hospitalares psiquiátricas no estado, obtidos do Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde. Resultados: Foram analisadas 115.652 internações ocorridas em 2014, e 79.355 em 2019 (redução de 31,38%). Observaram-se reduções nos valores gastos com internações psiquiátricas (-42,94%), destacando-se as internações de caráter de urgência, de pessoas do sexo feminino (-46,46%), nas idades de 15 a 49 (-36,85%) e mais de 50 anos (-51,54%). Conclusão: As reduções de frequência e de valores gastos com internações psiquiátricas fornecem elementos para a avaliação e alocação de recursos destinados à atenção da saúde mental, no âmbito das internações hospitalares e da utilização de serviços de base comunitária. Resumen Objetivo: Analizar el gasto en hospitalizaciones psiquiátricas en el Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, en los años 2014 y 2019. Métodos: Estudio ecológico descriptivo, con análisis de datos de ingresos hospitalarios psiquiátricos en el Estado de São Paulo, obtenidos del Sistema de Información Hospitalaria del Sistema Único de Salud. Resultados: Se analizaron 115,652 hospitalizaciones ocurridas en 2014 y 79,355 ocurridas en 2019 (reducción del 31.38%). Hubo reducciones en los montos gastados en hospitalizaciones psiquiátricas (-42,94%), con énfasis en hospitalizaciones de urgencia, de pacientes del sexo femenino (-46,46%), en los grupos de edad de 15 a 49 años (-36,85%) y mayores de 50 años (-51,54%). Conclusión: Las reducciones en la frecuencia y los montos gastados en hospitalizaciones psiquiátricas proporcionan elementos para la evaluación y asignación de recursos para la atención de la salud mental, dentro del alcance de las admisiones hospitalarias y el uso de servicios comunitarios. Abstract Objective: To analyze expenditure on psychiatric hospitalizations in the State of São Paulo in 2014 and 2019. Methods: This was a descriptive ecological study, with analysis of data on psychiatric hospital admissions in the State of São Paulo, retrieved from the Hospital Information System. Results: 115,652 hospitalizations that occurred in 2014 and 79,355 that occurred in 2019 were analyzed (reduction of 31.38%). There were reductions in the amounts spent on psychiatric hospitalizations (-42.94%), in particular expenditure on urgency hospitalizations, on female patients (-46.46%), on people aged 15-49 years (-36.85%) and on those aged over 50 years (-51.54%). Conclusion: The reduction in expenditure on psychiatric hospitalizations and the reduction in their frequency provide elements for the assessment and allocation of resources for mental health care, within the scope of hospital admissions and use of community-based services.

School based health centers (SBHC) provide healthcare services to youth and their families. In response to the global health crisis from COVID-19, schools' closures have impacted the access to vital services during times of increased need for physical and mental healthcare. Youth of minority racial and ethnic backgrounds living in urban settings face compounding factors including adverse childhood events, economic disadvantages, and barriers to healthcare. The mental health response of SBHCs in New York City as it relates to population specific factors such as family supports, economic considerations, and healthcare correlates is explored. The role of school based health centers and recommendations for interventions addressing mental health concerns in youth during COVID-19 are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Contains fulltext : 205886.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Objectives: Memory clinics (MCs) have been established to improve diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders, including dementia. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and working methods of MCs in the Netherlands in 2016. More insight into different working methods can be used to improve the quality of care in Dutch MCs. Additionally, the findings will be compared with earlier results to investigate the development of MCs since 1998. Methods: A survey was sent in 1998, 2004, 2009, and 2017 to all operational Dutch MCs with questions about organization, collaboration, patients, and diagnostic procedures. Results: From 1998 to 2016, the number of MCs increased substantially from 12 to 91. The capacity increased from 1,560 patients to 24,388. In 1998, most patients received a dementia diagnosis (85%), while in 2016, half of the patients were diagnosed with milder cognitive problems. MCs are more often part of regional care chains and are better embedded within regional care organizations. Diagnostic tools, such as blood tests (97%), neuropsychological assessment (NPA) (95%) and neuroimaging (92%), were used in nearly all MCs. The number of patients in whom these tools were used differed greatly between MCs (NPA: 5-100%, neuroimaging: 10-100%, CSF: 0.5-80%). There was an increase in the use of NPA, while the use of neuroimaging, CSF, and EEG/ECG decreased by 8 to 15% since 2009. Conclusions: Since 1998, MCs have developed substantially and outgrown the primarily research-based university settings. They are now accepted as regular care facilities for people with cognitive problems. 8 p.

Since the 1990s, facilities for individuals at putative risk for psychosis have mushroomed and within a very short time have become part of the standard psychiatric infrastructure in many countries. The idea of preventing a severe mental disorder before its exacerbation is laudable, and early data indeed strongly suggested that the sooner the intervention, the better the outcome. In this paper, the authors provide four reasons why they think that early detection or prodromal facilities should be renamed and their treatment targets reconsidered. First, the association between the duration of untreated psychosis and outcome is empirically established but has become increasingly weak over the years. Moreover, its applicability to those who are considered at risk remains elusive. Second, instruments designed to identify future psychosis are prone to many biases that are not yet sufficiently controlled. None of these instruments allows an even remotely precise prognosis. Third, the rate of transition to psychosis in at-risk patients is likely lower than initially thought, and evidence for the success of early intervention in preventing future psychosis is promising but still equivocal. Perhaps most importantly, the treatment is not hope-oriented. Patients are more or less told that schizophrenia is looming over them, which may stigmatize individuals who will never, in fact, develop psychosis. In addition self-stigma has been associated with suicidality and depression. The authors recommend that treatment of help-seeking individuals with mental problems but no established diagnosis should be need-based, and the risk of psychosis should be de-emphasized as it is only one of many possible outcomes, including full remission. Prodromal clinics should not be abolished but should be renamed and restructured. Such clinics exist, but the transformation process needs to be facilitated.

This longitudinal mixed-methods study explored variation in organizational readiness for change and leadership behavior across seven organizations during a 12-month training initiative in person-centered care planning. Quantitative data was used to examine trajectories of organizational readiness for change and leadership behavior over time and qualitative data explored provider perspectives on the trajectory of these organizational factors during the 12-month training initiative. Findings indicated that levels of organizational readiness for change and leadership behavior varied across clinics, but most experienced a significant positive change at the mid-point of the training. Organizational readiness for change was positively correlated with leaderships behaviors across time. Provider focus group findings gave insight into their initial resistance to adopting the new practice and their increasing receptivity in the second six months due to increased understanding of the practice and leadership endorsement. Increasing provider openness to a new practice prior to training and having a consistently engaged leadership have the potential to improve the efficiency of a training initiative.

This study examined the availability of primary care and wellness services in community mental health centers (CMHCs) and outpatient mental health facilities (OMHFs).This study used data from the 2016 National Mental Health Services Survey to examine the proportion of facilities that reported offering integrated primary care and wellness services (smoking and tobacco cessation counseling, diet and exercise counseling, and chronic disease and illness management). The study used logistic regression to model the odds that a facility offered integrated primary care as a function of facility characteristics.Across states, 23% of CMHCs and 19% of OMHFs offered integrated primary care. The odds of offering integrated primary care were significantly higher among facilities that reported more quality improvement practices, prohibited smoking, or offered wellness services. Less than one third offered smoking and tobacco cessation counseling or other wellness services.Integrated primary care remains uncommon in CMHCs and OMHFs and is more likely among facilities with certain characteristics.

Aim To report on the development of an early intervention service in Modena, Italy, with information relevant to the first 4 years of implementation. Methods The 2-year service was offered to people aged 18-35 with psychotic manifestations, within 2 years from psychosis onset/or naive to antipsychotics, by teams placed within community mental health Centres, according to a "specialist within generalist" model. Treatment included pharmacological consultation, psychoeducation and social inclusion programs. Health of the Nation Outcome Scale was administered at baseline and every 6 months. Results One hundred cases accepted the treatment from 1 March 2013 to 31 December 2016. Of these, 71% were male with a median age of 23. Ninety percent were diagnosed with non-affective psychosis, yielding an estimated treated incidence of 19.1/105 . General practitioners (GPs)represented the most frequent referrers to the program (38%), followed by referrals from acute general and psychiatric hospital units (22%) and self-referrals (14%). Meaningful clinical improvement was observed, 6 months after enrolment. Conclusions An early intervention service for psychosis was successfully implemented within existing community outpatient services. GPs represented the main referrals, providing some validation of the "specialist within generalist" model of care. A promising clinical improvement and trend of reduction in duration of untreated psychosis was found, supporting the variety of early detection efforts in the community. The high median age and lack of information about pathways to care underline possible barriers to access for younger patients. These findings will inform refinement of treatments and service models for the Region.

Clinician burnout is presumed to negatively impact healthcare quality; yet scant research has rigorously addressed this hypothesis. Using a mixed-methods, randomized, comparative effectiveness design, we tested two competing approaches to improve care-one addressing clinician burnout and the other addressing how clinicians interact with consumers-with 192 clinicians and 469 consumers at two community mental health centers. Although qualitative reports were promising, we found no comparative effectiveness for either intervention on burnout, patient-centered processes, or other outcomes. Discussion includes identifying ways to strengthen approaches to clinician burnout.

Background Mental health professionals usually decide patients’ access to inpatient care to ensure care based on need and potential benefit. The purpose of the current study is to investigate how patients evaluate admissions under a contract of Patient-Controlled Admissions (PCA), where the patient could initiate 5 day stays at a community mental health center at their own discretion. Methods Patients with a PCA contract in 2011 and 2012 were invited to participate in the study. Staff first recorded clinical baseline values for patients. Towards the end of each PCA stay, staff conducted a structured discharge interview of the admission with the patient. A structured follow-up interview evaluating the PCA arrangement 2 years after inclusion was also performed. We report frequencies from data on PCA requests, PCA admissions and the 2 year evaluation interview, and we used multiple regression models to explore predictors of perceived helpfulness and improvement from the PCA admissions. Results The included patients (n = 74) made 628 requests for PCAs during the 2 years after inclusion, and 507 PCAs took place. The five-day limit could not be upheld in 7.5% of PCAs. Patients rated PCAs as helping considerably (33.1%), a good deal (30.4%) or somewhat (21.1%), and reported feeling considerably (15.2%), a good deal (26.2%) or somewhat (36.3%) better during the admission. Significant predictors of helpfulness and feeling better were socializing more during the stay and reporting higher motivation to get away from a difficult situation or getting to the ward safety and calmness. A diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum or bipolar disorder and more services from mental health specialist care also predicted feeling better during the PCA. In the two-year follow-up interview, 90% rated themselves as very or quite satisfied, and more than 90% would recommend PCAs to others. Conclusions The PCA arrangement was feasible and was frequently utilized by patients. Patients were satisfied with PCAs and the PCA arrangement. These short stays seemed particularly helpful for patients with a more severe diagnosis. Strong patient satisfaction gives reasons for testing and implementing increased patient influence on the mental health admission procedures in the form of PCAs.

Treatment of acute leukemia has been delivered predominantly in academic and larger leukemia treatment centers with the infrastructure and staff needed to manage patients receiving complex therapeutic regimens and supportive care. However, in recent years, several oral agents and less-myelosuppressive regimens were approved, making it possible for these patients to receive therapy in smaller community hospitals and oncology office practices. In this review, we discuss the optimum community setting, type of patient who can be treated, agents that can be applied, and an appropriate clinical circumstance in which a referral to a tertiary center should be made.

Most adolescents presenting to community mental health centers have one or more comorbidities (internalizing, externalizing, and substance use problems). We evaluated an integrated family-based outpatient treatment for adolescents (OPT-A) that can be delivered in a community mental health center by a single therapist. A sample of 134 youth/families were randomized to receive OPT-A or usual services, delivered at the same public sector mental health center. Repeated, multi-informant assessments occurred through 18-months post-baseline. At baseline, the sample displayed low internalizing symptoms, moderate substance use, and high externalizing problems. Compared to usual services, OPT-A had effects on abstinence rates, retention, motivation, parent involvement, and satisfaction, but not on internalizing or externalizing problems. While OPT-A achieved some key improvements for youth who present to community mental health centers, and families were satisfied with treatment, continued work is necessary to examine treatments for comorbidity while balancing treatment feasibility and complex strategies to boost treatment effectiveness.

Background Family involvement for persons with psychotic disorders is under-implemented in mental health care, despite its firm scientific, economic, legal and moral basis. This appears to be the case in Norway, despite the presence of national guidelines providing both general recommendations on family involvement and support in the health- and care services, and specific guidance on family interventions for patients with psychotic disorders. The aim of this project is to improve mental health services and the psychosocial health of persons with psychotic disorders and their relatives, by implementing selected recommendations from the national guidelines in community mental health centres, and to evaluate this process. Methods The trial is cluster randomised, where 14 outpatient clusters from community mental health centres undergo stratified randomisation with an allocation ratio of 1:1. The seven intervention clusters will receive implementation support for 18 months, whereas the control clusters will receive the same support after this implementation period. The intervention consists of: 1. A basic level of family involvement and support. 2. Family psychoeducation in single-family groups. 3. Training and guidance of health care personnel. 4. A family coordinator and 5. Other implementation measures. Fidelity to the intervention will be measured four times in the intervention arm and two times in the control arm, and the differences in fidelity changes between the arms constitute the primary outcomes. In each arm, we aim to include 161 patients with psychotic disorders and their closest relative to fill in questionnaires at inclusion, 6 months and 12 months, measuring psychosocial health and satisfaction with services. Clinicians will contribute clinical data about patients at inclusion and 12 months. Use of health and welfare services and work participation, for both patients and relatives, will be retrieved from national registries. We will also perform qualitative interviews with patients, relatives, health care personnel and leaders. Finally, we will conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis and a political economy analysis. Discussion This project, with its multilevel and mixed methods approach, may contribute valuable knowledge to the fields of family involvement, mental health service research and implementation science. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03869177. Registered 11.03.19.

Identification, enrolment, and retention in treatment are challenging processes in mental health care. The present paper highlights the challenges in tracing and reenrolling non-adherent persons with mental illness for treatment in a rural community mental health center. Unclear address, phone numbers not in use, relocation from the given address, no further contact details etc. are the barriers to trace and make the home visits. A detailed review of the medical record, having a network with the village informal health care workers and groups, utilizing peer group support, etc., are the facilitators for tracing the treatment non-adherent persons in the community.

In March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, state-funded community mental health service programs (CMHSP) in Michigan, organized into 10 regions known as a “Prepaid Inpatient Health Plan” (PIHP), grappled with the task of developing a modified plan of operations, while complying with mitigation and social distancing guidelines. With the premise that psychiatric care is essential healthcare, a panel of physician and non-physician leaders representing Region 5, met and developed recommendations, and feedback iteratively, using an adaptive modified Delphi methodology. This facilitated the development of a service and patient prioritization document to triage and to deliver behavioral health services in 21 counties which comprised Region 5 PIHP. Our procedures were organized around the principles of mitigation and contingency management, like physical health service delivery paradigms. The purpose of this manuscript is to share region 5 PIHP’s response; a process which has allowed continuity of care during these unprecedented times. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10597-020-00677-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Suffering linked to previous interpersonal trauma is common among patients in mental health care. Diagnostic labels may vary, but the clinical picture is often characterized by long-lasting and complex psychological and somatic symptoms, subjective distress and reduced quality of health and life. A substantial proportion of patients do not recover after individual treatment in ordinary specialized mental healthcare settings, despite the proven usefulness of individual trauma-specific treatments. The therapeutic factors that arise in group settings, such as normalization, shame reduction and corrective relational experiences, may be particularly useful for trauma survivors. However, evidence in support of group treatment for trauma survivors is scarce. This study aims to test whether combining a novel group intervention to individual treatment is superior to conventional individual out-patient treatment in an ordinary community mental health hospital. Methods: In a single-site, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT), the effect of a combined group-based stabilization and skill-training (SST) intervention added to individual treatment will be compared to conventional treatment (treatment as usual, TAU) alone. Participants (N = 160) with ongoing and long-lasting reactions related to known adverse life events from the past will be recruited among patients at general outpatient clinics in a community mental health centre at St. Olav’s University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. Following baseline assessment and randomization, participants will complete follow-up measures at 4, 8, 13 and 19 months post-baseline. The primary outcome is personal recovery (The questionnaire about the process of recovery , QPR). Secondary outcomes include (1) self-reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress, general mental and somatic health symptoms, well-being, functional impairment and client satisfaction, (2) immunological and endocrine response measured in blood samples and (3) national registry data on occupational status, use of mental health services and pharmacological treatment. Additionally, mechanisms of change via posttraumatic cognitions will be examined. Discussion: The addition of a group-based intervention to individual treatment for trauma survivors might prove to be an efficient way to meet the need of long-lasting high-intensity treatment in a large group of patients in mental health care, thereby reducing their suffering and increasing their psychosocial functioning. © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Background Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of mental health services are delivered in outpatient settings, the effect of changes in non-hospital-based mental health care on increased suicide rates is largely unknown. This study examines the association between changes in community mental health center (CMHC) supply and suicide mortality in the United States. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed using data from National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) (2014–2017). Population-weighted multiple linear regressions were used to examine within-state associations between CMHCs per capita and suicide mortality. Models controlled for state-level characteristics (i.e., number of hospital psychiatric units per capita, number of mental health professionals per capita, age, race, and percent low-income), year and state. Results From 2014 to 2017, the number of CMHCs decreased by 14% nationally (from 3406 to 2920). Suicide increased by 9.7% (from 15.4 to 16.9 per 100,000) in the same time period. We find a small but negative association between the number of CMHCs and suicide deaths (− 0.52, 95% CI − 1.08 to 0.03; p = 0.066). Declines in the number of CMHCs from 2014 to 2017 may be associated with approximately 6% of the national increase in suicide, representing 263 additional suicide deaths. Conclusions State governments should avoid the declining number of CMHCs and the services these facilities provide, which may be an important component of suicide prevention efforts.

Background Mental health professionals usually decide patients’ access to inpatient care to ensure the rational and fair distribution of care based on need and prognosis. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effects of increasing patients’ influence on admission by enabling patients to initiate brief inpatient stays of up to five days at a community mental health center. Patients can initiate admission according to their own discretion, outside the existing referral and gatekeeping system. Methods Patient-controlled admission (PCA) contracts were offered to eligible patients for inpatient stays in four community mental health centers in one health trust in Norway. Data on included patients’ inpatient stays at any of the hospitals’ mental health or addiction wards were collected by hospital electronic journal data extraction specialists for the two years before PCA contracts were introduced and the first two years after PCA contracts were introduced for the included patients. Results The included patients (n = 57) had 406 PCAs in the two years following signing PCA contracts. When comparing the periods before and after the introduction of the contracts, the total number of admissions increased from 203 to 498 (p p Conclusions The included patients’ use of inpatient days changed profoundly after signing PCA contracts, similar to what previous studies of PCAs have indicated. In spite of the marked reductions in inpatient days, the pre-post design makes it impossible to rule out that the reductions were caused by regression toward the mean. No study of PCAs has reported negative effects, indicating that giving patients control over very short admissions is a feasible and potentially positive scheme in mental health care wards.

Yüksel, Arzu ( Aksaray, Yazar ), This study aims to determine the effect of mindfulness-based psychosocial skills training (MBPST) on the functional recovery and insight level in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, 40 patients with schizophrenia registered in the Aksaray Community Mental Health Centre were divided into two groups: the intervention group (n = 20) and the non-intervention group (n = 20). The Functional Recovery Scale in Schizophrenia (FRSS) and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) were measured at preintervention and postintervention. The posttest mean scores of FRSS and BCIS of the intervention group were statistically higher than the non-intervention group (p < 0.05). The MBPST program improved functional recovery and cognitive insight in schizophrenia. In line with these results, it has been recommended that MBPST program should be provided along with medical treatment in Community Mental Health Centres.

Aims Community care units (CCUs) are a model of residential psychiatric rehabilitation aiming to improve the independence and community functioning of people with severe and persistent mental illness. This study examined factors predicting improvement in outcomes among CCU consumers. Methods Hierarchical regression using data from a retrospective cohort (N = 501) of all consumers admitted to five CCUs in Queensland, Australia between 2005 and 2014. The primary outcome was changed in mental health and social functioning (Health of the Nation Outcome Scale). Secondary outcomes were disability (Life Skills Profile-16), service use, accommodation instability, and involuntary treatment. Potential predictors covered service, consumer, and treatment characteristics. Group-level and individualised change were assessed between the year pre-admission and post-discharge. Where relevant and available, the reliable and clinically significant (RCS) change was assessed by comparison with a normative sample. Results Group-level analyses showed statistically significant improvements in mental health and social functioning, and reductions in psychiatry-related bed-days, emergency department (ED) presentations and involuntary treatment. There were no significant changes in disability or accommodation instability. A total of 54.7% of consumers demonstrated reliable improvement in mental health and social functioning, and 43.0% showed RCS improvement. The majority (60.6%) showed a reliable improvement in psychiatry-related bed-use; a minority demonstrated reliable improvement in ED presentations (12.5%). Significant predictors of improvement included variables related to the CCU care (e.g. episode duration), consumer characteristics (e.g. primary diagnosis) and treatment variables (e.g. psychiatry-related bed-days pre-admission). Higher baseline impairment in mental health and social functioning (β = 1.12) and longer episodes of CCU care (β = 1.03) increased the likelihood of RCS improvement in mental health and social functioning. Conclusions CCU care was followed by reliable improvements in relevant outcomes for many consumers. Consumers with poorer mental health and social functioning, and a longer episode of CCU care were more likely to make RCS improvements in mental health and social functioning.

Objective: To assess schizophrenia patients' approach toward coping with stress in terms of demographic variables., Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the State Hospital Community Mental Health Centre, Turkey, from November 1, 2013, to April 30, 2014 and comprised patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Data was collected using Sociodemographic Information Form and the Coping Assessment Questionnaire Inventory. It was analysed using SPSS 18., Results: Of the 53 patients, 14(26.4%) were females and 39(73.5%) were males. The overall mean age was 38 +/- 10.66 years. Highest mean score was recorded for the emotion-focussed coping subscale which was 63.49 +/- 10.64. Female patients used emotional social support, focussing on problems and venting emotions techniques (p, Conclusion: Most schizophrenia patients were found to be using emotion-focussed coping methods.

The mental health of patients with epilepsy represents a substantial public health concern in Japan. For instance, the Japanese term for epilepsy, “tenkan”, has the negative meaning of “mad” and “a violent temperament that is apt to be infatuated”. Although epilepsy is now understood as a disease caused by abnormal neuronal activity in the brain, discrimination and stigma against people with epilepsy remain deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Understandably, this stigma can have a serious impact on the psychology and behavior of individuals with epilepsy. To our knowledge, no studies have clarified the formation process or examined the treatment of self-stigma in patients with epilepsy in Japan. Characterizing coping strategies and examining methods for reducing self-stigma will increase our understanding of the experiences of patients and facilitate effective psychiatric rehabilitation. Accordingly, the purpose of our study was to investigate the quality and degree of cognition regarding self-stigma and to examine coping strategies in patients with epilepsy living in the community. The participants were psychiatric outpatients aged 20–65 years who had been diagnosed with epilepsy and visited our psychiatric outpatient clinic between October 1 and December 31, 2016. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 patients who consented to participate. For data analysis, we used the content analysis method proposed. Our study revealed details of self-stigma in patients with epilepsy. Patients and their families are often aware of the presence of this self-stigma, and many do not know how to address it. In this study, we qualitatively examined self-stigma in patients with epilepsy on the basis of patient narratives. Per our findings, we would like to examine intervention methods for reducing self-stigma in patients with epilepsy.

Background Substance use disorders are prevalent among youth involved with the criminal justice system, however, evidence-based substance use disorder treatment is often unavailable to this population. The goal of this study was to identify barriers to effective implementation of evidence-based practices among juvenile justice and community mental health organizations through the lens of an adopter-based innovation model. Methods In this mixed-methods study, qualitative interviews were conducted with n = 15 juvenile justice staff and n = 14 community mental health staff from two counties implementing substance use services for justice involved youth. In addition, n = 28 juvenile justice staff and n = 85 community mental health center staff also completed quantitative measures of organizational effectiveness including the implementation leadership scale (ILS), organizational readiness for change (ORIC), and the implementation climate scale (ICS). Results Organizationally, staff from community mental health centers reported more “red tape” and formalized procedures around daily processes, while many juvenile justice staff reported a high degree of autonomy. Community mental health respondents also reported broad concern about their capacity for providing new interventions. Staff across the two different organizations expressed support for evidence-based practices, agreed with the importance of treating substance use disorders in this population, and were enthusiastic about implementing the interventions. Conclusions While both community mental health and juvenile justice staff express commitment to implementing evidence-based practices, systems-level changes are needed to increase capacity for providing evidence-based services.

Little is known about the types of home care services granted to older clients in Sweden. The objectives of this study were to: (a) identify and describe the range of granted home care services and service hours; (b) compare services granted for clients with and without documented cognitive impairment; and (c) examine associations between the range of granted home care services and factors related to cognitive impairment and demographical characteristics. The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional. The data, included records of granted home care services for clients age 65+ with (n = 43) and without (n = 88) cognitive impairment documented by the local municipality assessors, collected from one agency in Sweden during a 2-month period in 2015. Data analyses resulted in an overview of the range of home care services divided into two categories: personal care and service. In the personal care category, the median was 3 for types of services (range 0-12), and shower (n = 69; 52.7%) was the most common service. In the service category, the median was 5 for types of services (range 0-10), and cleaning the household (n = 103; 78.6%) was the most common service. The median for service hours was 27 hr per month (range 2.5-127.5). Logistic regression models revealed that cognitive impairment was associated with a higher number of services in the personal care category and a higher number of hours per month. Living alone was associated with a higher number of services in the service category. In conclusion, a wide range of home care services were provided for clients who have complex needs in daily life. Home care services were granted to clients with cognitive impairment and to a greater extent with clients who were living alone.

Minority groups experience higher depression but lower treatment rates. Student-run free mental health (MH) clinics, such as the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) MH clinic, address this disparity. This study scrutinized EHHOP MH's depression treatment by measuring adherence to antidepressants. Pharmacy data from seventy-nine patients were reviewed according to HEDIS criteria. Results compare EHHOP MH to New York State (NYS) Medicaid and NYS commercial insurance providers. In the acute treatment phase, EHHOP MH performed similarly to NYS Medicaid. In all other comparisons, EHHOP MH had lower adherence rates. Physician notes were reviewed to identify reasons for low adherence.

Publicly insured children needing referral to mental health (MH) services often do not access or receive services. The objective of this study was to identify gaps in communication and coordination between primary care providers (PCPs) and MH providers during the MH referral and care process for publicly insured children. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 PCPs and staff from a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and 6 MH providers and staff from two local MH clinics. Interview participants identified multiple gaps in communication throughout the care process and different phases as priorities for improvement. PCPs described primary care-MH communication challenges during early phases, while MH providers described coordination challenges in transferring patients back to primary care for ongoing mental health management. Strategies are needed to improve primary care-specialty MH communication and coordination throughout all phases of the referral and care process, particularly at initial referral and transfer back to primary care.

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness (compared with usual care) of a collaborative care model to treat community mental health center (CMHC) patients with psychosis and poorly controlled diabetes.Stakeholder input was used to adapt a primary care-based collaborative care intervention for CMHC settings. Thirty-five adult CMHC clients with type II diabetes and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)8% or blood pressure140/90 were randomized to receive either collaborative care or usual care. Change in HbA1c was evaluated between baseline and three months. Paired t tests were used for within-group comparisons.After three months, intervention participants had a statistically significant mean decrease in HbA1c of 1.1% (p=.049). There was no significant change in HbA1c in the usual-care group.This pilot demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of implementing collaborative care in CMHC settings and its preliminary effectiveness in improving glycemic control in a high-risk population.

Integrated behavioral health and primary care is a patient-centered approach designed to address a person's physical, emotional, and social healthcare needs. Increasingly, practices are integrating care to help achieve the Quadruple Aim, yet no studies have examined, using qualitative methods, patients' experiences of care in integrated settings. The purpose of this study was to examine patients' experiences of care in community-based settings integrating behavioral health and primary care. This is a qualitative study of 24 patients receiving care across five practices participating in Advancing Care Together (ACT). ACT was a 4-year demonstration project (2010-2014) of primary care and community mental health centers (CMHCs) integrating care. We conducted in-depth interviews in 2014 and a multidisciplinary team analyzed data using an inductive qualitative descriptive approach. Nineteen patients described receiving integrated care. Both primary care and CMHC patients felt cared for when the full spectrum of their needs, including physical, emotional, and social circumstances, were addressed. Patients perceived personal, interpersonal, and organizational benefits from integrated care. Interactions with integrated team members helped patients develop and/or improve coping skills; patients shared lessons learned with family and friends. Service proximity, provider continuity and trust, and a number of free initial behavioral health appointments supported patient access to, and engagement with, integrated care. In contrast, patients' prior experience, provider "mismatch," clinician turnover, and restrictive insurance coverage presented barriers in accessing and sustaining care. Patients in both primary care and CMHCs perceived similar benefits from integrated care related to personal growth, improved quality, and access to care. Policy makers and practice leadership should attend to proximity, continuity, trust, and cost/coverage as factors that can impede or facilitate engagement with integrated care.

Individuals affected with mental health conditions, including mood disorders and substance abuse, are at an increased risk of hospital readmission.The objective of this study is to examine whether local health departments' (LHDs) active roles of promoting mental health are associated with reductions in 30-day all-cause readmission rates, a common quality metric.Using datasets linked from multiple sources, including 2012-2013 State Inpatient Databases for the State of Maryland, the National Association of County and City Health Officials Profiles Survey, the Area Health Resource File, and US Census data, we employed multivariate logistic models to examine whether LHDs' active provision of mental health preventive care, mental health services, and health promotion were associated with the likelihood of having any 30-day all-cause readmission.Multivariate logistic regressions showed that LHDs' provision of mental health preventive care, mental health services, and health promotion were negatively associated with the likelihoods of having any 30-day readmission for adults 18-64 years old (odds ratios=0.71-0.82, P0.001), and adults 65 and above (odds ratios=0.61-0.63, P0.001, preventive care and services, respectively). These estimated associations were more prominent among individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, African Americans, Medicare, and Medicaid enrollees.Our results suggest that LHDs in Maryland that engage in mental health prevention, promotion, and coordination activities are associated with benefits for residents and for the health care system at large. Additional research is needed to evaluate LHD activities in other states to determine if these results are generalizable.

Background: Approximately 14% to 20% of children and adolescents have a mental health problem. Atypical antipsychotic agents are used to treat behavioral, emotional, and mental health problems in children and adolescents. A discrepancy between best practices and actual practices exists. Objective: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase adherence above baseline, through implementation of a checklist, to recommended screening guidelines in children, ages 4 to 18, prescribed atypical antipsychotic agents over 12 weeks. Design/Results: Aggregate comparison of the mean ranks of scores were tested with the Mann–Whitney U test, U = 1,087.5, n1 = n2 = 70, total N =140, p < .001. Variables of body mass index, blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting glucose, fasting lipids, personal history, and family history were observed and tested using the chi-square with Fisher’s exact tests and are significant at or above 99% confidence level ( p < .01). Conclusion: Educating mental health providers, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners on recommended screening guidelines and implementing a checklist had a measurable effect on increasing adherence to the recommended screening guidelines in a community mental health setting.

Background Previous works that uses patterns of prior spending to predict future mental health care expenses (utilization models) are mainly concerned with demand (need) variables. In this paper, we introduce supply variables, both individual rater variables and center variables. The aim is to assess these variables’ explanatory power, and to investigate whether not accounting for such variables could create biased estimates for the effects of need variables. Methods We employed an observational study design where the same set of referrals was assessed by a sample of clinicians, thus creating data with a panel structure being particularly relevant for analyzing supply factors. The referrals were obtained from Norwegian Community Mental Health Centers (outpatient services), and the clinicians assessed the referrals with respect to recommended treatment costs and health status. Results Supply variables accounted for more than 10% of the total variation and about one third of the explained variation. Two groups of supply variables, individual rater variables and center variables (institutions) were equally important. Conclusions Our results confirm that supply factors are important but ignoring such variables, when analyzing demand variables, do not generally seem to produce biased (confounded) coefficients.