Community-based mental health centers in Ukraine - protocol for a mixed methods evaluation study using the RE-AIM...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Services Research
• Health Systems Strengthening

Background:

• Ukraine's mental health system, historically institutionalized, faces increased strain due to the full-scale invasion.
• A national reform is underway to transition from institutional to community-based mental health care.
• The Mental Health for Ukraine (MH4U) project supports this transition with international technical assistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an evidence-based evaluation of community-based mental health centers.
• To inform continued improvement and national scale-up of community mental health services.
• To generate insights into the effectiveness of a community-based model in a crisis context.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods evaluation using the RE-AIM framework.
• Quantitative data collection via patient and provider questionnaires and administrative records.
• Qualitative data collection through patient and provider interviews and community stakeholder focus groups.
• Application of a learning health systems (LHS) framework with continuous feedback loops.

Main Results:

• The evaluation will provide evidence on the effectiveness, mechanisms, and context of community-based mental health centers.
• Findings will detail how and why the model functions in real-world conditions.
• Study results will be communicated to stakeholders through feedback loops and workshops.

Conclusions:

• The study will offer crucial evidence for Ukraine's national mental health policy reform.
• Results will inform the scale-up of community-based mental health services.
• Lessons learned will be applicable to global mental health systems operating in crisis settings.