From research to practice: a local mental health services needs assessment

Service planning based on aggregated needs assessment is rarely practised. There is a lack of research into how population-based needs assessment approaches can be translated into routine clinical settings.

This study aimed to ascertain the 2-month period prevalence of psychosis in Gloucester City, to investigate the level of need among those in contact with mental health services, and to identify the compromises which are involved in routine collection of data to inform services, compared with specifically funded research studies. Method People with ICD-10 diagnosis of functional psychosis were identified by searching General Practice and mental health service records in Gloucester City. The needs of the sub-sample in touch with mental health services were assessed using the Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal Schedule (CANSAS).

Four hundred and seventy-four cases were identified, including 403 in contact with mental health services. Staff CANSAS data were collected for 225 patients, with a mean rating of 7.0 met and 3.6 unmet needs per patient. Unmet need was higher in the non-Caucasian group.

In this locality, patients with functional psychosis were largely in contact with mental health services, were in employment, were disproportionately looked after by a few City centre General Practitioners, and high levels were in supported accommodation. Higher levels of need were found than previously demonstrated. Systematic assessment of needs with research instruments to contribute to locality service planning is possible without a major research grant, but involves compromises on established research designs.