Precision Mental Healthcare: Identifying Service Preferences Through Discrete-Choice Experiments in Chinese...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Services Research
• Health Services Administration
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Patient-centered care emphasizes aligning mental health services with individual preferences to improve outcomes.
• The precision framework in mental healthcare aims to personalize service delivery.
• Understanding preferences for first-contact services is crucial for effective mental healthcare access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore preferences for first-contact mental health services among community residents and family members with mild psychiatric symptoms in Chinese megacities.
• To apply the precision framework to identify key determinants of service utilization.
• To uncover distinct preference groups and factors influencing them.

Main Methods:

• A discrete choice experiment was employed via an online survey.
• 4,057 participants from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were included.
• Mixed logit and latent class analyses were used to analyze preference data.

Main Results:

• Service providers were identified as a significant determinant of mental health service utilization.
• Both patients and families preferred lower-cost public services.
• Preferences for psychological counseling varied across cities and between patient/family contexts, with four distinct patient preference groups identified.

Conclusions:

• Tailored mental health interventions are essential to meet diverse patient and family needs.
• Psychological distress levels and hukou type significantly influence service preferences.
• Leveraging China's unique mental healthcare system features can enhance access, quality, and equity.