Identifying Local and Centralized Mental Health ServicesThe Development of a New Categorizing Variable



: Ala-Nikkola T, Pirkola S, Kaila M, Joffe G, Kontio R, Oranta O, Sadeniemi M, Wahlbeck K, Saarni SI

Publisher: MDPI

: 2018

 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH

: INT J ENV RES PUB HE

: ARTN 1131

: 15

: 6

: 16

: 1660-4601

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061131

: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/32516345


The challenges of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) require shifting of the balance of resources from institutional care to community care. In order to track progress, an instrument that can describe these attributes of MHS is needed. We created a coding variable in the European Service Mapping Schedule-Revised (ESMS-R) mapping tool using a modified Delphi panel that classified MHS into centralized, local services with gatekeeping and local services without gatekeeping. For feasibility and validity, we tested the variable on a dataset comprising MHS in Southern Finland, covering a population of 2.3 million people. There were differences in the characteristics of services between our study regions. In our data, 41% were classified as centralized, 37% as local without gatekeeping and 22% as local services with gatekeeping. The proportion of resources allocated to local services varied from 20% to 43%. Reclassifying ESMS-R is an easy way to compare the important local vs. centralized balance of MHS systems globally, where such data exists. Further international studies comparing systems and validating this approach are needed.

Last updated on 26/11/2024 09:18:16 PM