Development and evaluation of Intensive Case Management Screening Sheet in the Japanese population

In Japan, the mental health system has been shifting from hospitalization-based to community-based care; some organizations have gradually begun providing intensive case management (ICM) services. We developed an Intensive Case Management Screening Sheet (ICMSS) to screen for the need for ICM in people with mental illness.

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and discriminative ability of ICMSS. Subjects consisted of 911 people with mental illness. The ICMSS score was rated by a professional such as a nurse, social worker, or occupational therapist.

Exploratory factor analysis showed a one-factor structure with 14 items. The factor structure was supported by confirmatory factor analysis (comparative fit index, 0.98; Tucker-Lewis index, 0.97; root mean square error test of close fit, 0.05). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis for discriminating between users and non-users of ICM services, the area under the curve (AUC) for ICMSS was significantly larger than for Global Assessment of Functioning and Personal and Social Performance Scale, indicating better discriminative ability. However, the AUC for ICMSS was moderate. Thus, we suggest that the need for ICM services is determined by quantitative assessment (i.e., ICMSS) and clinical judgment.

ICMSS is a brief tool for mental health professionals that will be useful in routine clinical practice. We expect that ICMSS will be used as a measure that reflects the views of professionals from various disciplines in Japanese institutions.