The reform of mental health services needs to be guided by an overall conceptual framework. Such a framework is important to avoid many risks, including extrapolating from a specific service site to other services, without taking into account local and regional variables. A conceptual framework, the matrix model, is proposed. This model has been developed using the most relevant information that is necessary for describing and interpreting mental health services data as well as patient-based information. The matrix model has 2 dimensions: the geographical, which refers to 3 levels (country, local and patient) and the temporal, which refers to 3 phases (inputs, processes and outcomes). Using these 2 dimensions a 9-cell matrix is constructed to bring into focus critical issues for mental health services. The relevance of each level and each phase is briefly presented. The matrix is intended to assist clinicians, planners and researchers to deal with clinical phenomena, organizational issues, and research questions that share a degree of complexity that render inadequate analyses and the interventions made only at one level. The matrix model applies particularly to mental health systems of care that are provided with a public health framework. ((c) 1998 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved)
A conceptual framework for mental health services: The matrix model
TANSELLA, Michele;
1998-01-01
Abstract
The reform of mental health services needs to be guided by an overall conceptual framework. Such a framework is important to avoid many risks, including extrapolating from a specific service site to other services, without taking into account local and regional variables. A conceptual framework, the matrix model, is proposed. This model has been developed using the most relevant information that is necessary for describing and interpreting mental health services data as well as patient-based information. The matrix model has 2 dimensions: the geographical, which refers to 3 levels (country, local and patient) and the temporal, which refers to 3 phases (inputs, processes and outcomes). Using these 2 dimensions a 9-cell matrix is constructed to bring into focus critical issues for mental health services. The relevance of each level and each phase is briefly presented. The matrix is intended to assist clinicians, planners and researchers to deal with clinical phenomena, organizational issues, and research questions that share a degree of complexity that render inadequate analyses and the interventions made only at one level. The matrix model applies particularly to mental health systems of care that are provided with a public health framework. ((c) 1998 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved)
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