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Findings from A Comparison of Mental Health Services in Primary Care and Outpatient Mental Health Services

Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
29 January 2009

Abstract

This project used the Colorado Client Assessment Record to compare individuals being seen by mental health teams in primary care with individuals being seen in outpatient services in the same community and to look at the implications for service delivery. While more individuals with a psychotic illness were seen in outpatient settings, many individuals seen in primary care had similar levels of need to those in outpatient clinics. Family physicians were more actively involved in the care of patients being seen in primary care. These findings suggest that a stronger role could be played by primary care in delivering mental health care, while differentiating which populations are best served in which setting.

Résumé

Pour réaliser cette recherche, nous avons utilisé les critères du Colorado Client Assessment Record pour comparer deux types de patients d'une même région (celle de Hamilton en Ontario): d'une part des individus qui ont été soignés par des équipes de santé mentale à l'étape des soins primaires, et d'autre part des individus qui ont été soignés dans des cliniques externes des hôpitaux. Alors que plus d'individus souffrant de troubles psychotiques ont été vus dans des cliniques externes, plusieurs individus avaient besoin du même type de services à l'étape des soins primaires, où les médecins de famille sont impliqués de plus près dans le traitement de leurs patients. Ces résultats indiquent qu'il serait avantageux que plus de services de santé mentale soient offerts à l'étape des soins primaires, et qu'il serait utile de déterminer quel type de population serait ainsi mieux servie.

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Information & Authors

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Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 27Number 2September 2008
Pages: 93 - 103

History

Version of record online: 29 January 2009

Authors

Affiliations

Nick Kates
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Lindsey George
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Anne Marie Crustolo
School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Michele Mach
Hamilton Family Health Team Mental Health Program

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1. Primary Mental Health Care in the Family Health Team Setting: Tracking Patient Care from Referral to Outcome

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