What users and relatives want from mental health services

Abstract

Purpose of reviewRecent work identifying the wishes and preferences of patients and relatives about mental health care is summarized and discussed in the light of earlier findings. Recent findingsPatients want more information and involvement in decisionmaking, good relationships with providers, clear management plans, good coordination among services, the opportunity to record their wishes in advance directives, and contact with fellow patients who can provide peer support. Clinical outcomes are predicted by patients' perceptions that services have met their needs. Relatives also want information and support, and good communication with services. Relatives, however, request more supportive and intensive interventions, whereas patients prefer options which preserve their independence. Professionals have difficulty in identifying their patients' priorities and desired outcomes of care. Summary Much attention has been devoted recently to establishing mechanisms by which patients can be involved in service development and planning, but it is not clear whether patients wish to be involved in this or feel involved. It may be that the majority of patients want more involvement in their own care as a first priority. Further work in this area would benefit from greater consistency in terminology and measurement, and should consider the views of other stakeholders, such as those responsible for the development and resourcing of services.

A team approach to providing mental health services in a regional centre using a comprehensive primary health care framework

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Aspectos conceptuales sobre el proceso de decisión compartida en salud mental

“…La mayor parte de los pacientes psiquiátricos desean participar en la toma de decisiones sanitarias, especialmente sobre la medicación y hospitalización (75)(76)(77)(78)(79)(80) …”

Values and behaviours: using the Ten Essential Shared Capabilities to support policy reform in mental health practice

“…It can be argued that choice starts with identifying what service users and their carers really value, rather than what practitioners, managers and politicians think that they value. People express some very clear values when they talk about what they want from mental health services (Noble & Douglas, 2004;McSweeney & Smith, 1994;Diaz-Caneja & Johnson, 2004). The onus is on service providers to ask service users about their needs and preferences, and to respond positively to service users' requirements.…”