The impact of caseload on the personal efficacy of mental health case managers.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between caseload size and self-perceived clinical effectiveness of mental health case managers was explored.


METHODS
A 17-item instrument developed for the study, the Case Manager Personal Efficacy Scale (CMPES), was completed by 300 community mental health case managers in Australia. Efficacy scores were examined in relation to caseload size and to respondents' scores on the General Health Questionnaire.


RESULTS
The CMPES was sensitive to changes in caseload size. Case managers with larger caseloads reported lower performance in a range of core role activities. Larger caseload had a weak but significant negative association with general well-being as measured by the General Health Questionnaire.


CONCLUSIONS
Caseload size had a significant impact on the self-perceived role performance of mental health case managers. The CMPES is a reliable measure of case manager personal efficacy that is sensitive to variation in work context.
King
R
R
Department of Psychiatry, Universityof Queensland, Australia. robertk@psychiatry.uq.edu.au
Le Bas
J
J
Spooner
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D019090:Case Management / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload