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Mental health. Wait not, want not?
1Anglia Polytechnic University.
The Health Service Journal
|May 10, 1998
Summary
Long mental health waiting lists for youth led to many patients being removed. Re-referred children experienced longer treatment times and increased resource use, highlighting system inefficiencies.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Healthcare Management
- Public Health
Background:
- Increasing prevalence of mental health issues in young people.
- Extended waiting lists in child and adolescent mental health services.
- Challenges in patient management and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of patient removal from long waiting lists.
- To assess the consequences of prolonged waiting times for youth mental health.
- To evaluate clinical resource utilization for re-referred patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of patient data from a mental health trust.
- Tracking patient outcomes after removal from a waiting list.
- Comparison of treatment duration and symptom severity.
Main Results:
- 100 out of 143 patients removed from the waiting list due to non-response.
- 10% of removed patients were re-referred within two years.
- Re-referred patients required longer treatment durations and more clinical resources.
Conclusions:
- Patient removal from waiting lists can lead to re-referrals with more severe symptoms.
- Prolonged waiting times negatively impact treatment efficiency and resource allocation.
- Strategies are needed to manage waiting lists effectively and address youth mental health needs.