The library as a resource for decision making in mental health care.
OBJECTIVE
The study sought to determine whether mental health practitioners decided to make changes in specific areas of patient or client care as a result of information obtained from library literature searches.


METHODS
A ten-question survey was distributed to 350 mental health professionals who had requested at least one computerized literature search from a library affiliated with a state institute of mental health during an eight-month period.


RESULTS
A total of 70.5 percent of survey respondents made one or more changes in their approach to patient or client care after reviewing the information obtained through the search.


CONCLUSIONS
Access to the wide range of research and experience embodied in the published literature is a valuable adjunct to the mental health professional's training and personal experience.
Johnson
M
M
Missouri Institute of Mental Health, St. Louis 63139, USA.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D007993:Libraries, Medical; D016239:MEDLINE; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008923:Missouri; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team