Issues in the assessment of outcome in mental health.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this paper is to examine a number of issues in the assessment of outcome in mental health.


METHODS
Issues are considered in terms of a number of dichotomies or choices. These include: intervention-dependent versus intervention-independent definitions of outcome, focusing on inputs or processes versus outcomes; individual versus organisational outcomes; outcomes for patients versus outcomes for significant others; pure versus mixed outcomes; care versus cure; direct versus indirect measures; objective versus subjective measures; descriptive versus prescriptive measures; global versus specific assessment; and assessing at significant times points versus assessing at fixed intervals.


CONCLUSIONS
Guiding principles are formulated in terms of the foregoing issues.
Trauer
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Department of Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. trauer@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
D001315:Australia; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales