Demographic, clinical, social and service variables associated with higher needs for care in community psychiatric service patients. The South Verona Outcome Project 8.
BACKGROUND
Mental health services should be provided on the basis of need. This study investigated a representative sample of patients attending a community-based psychiatric service. The aim was to identify the profile of patients with higher needs for care, by considering a full range of potential demographic, clinical, social and service correlates.


METHODS
A total of 268 patients using mental health services in South Verona, Italy, had cross-sectional assessments of their needs (using the Camberwell Assessment of Need), symptomatology, disability, functioning, quality of life, service use and satisfaction with care analysed using linear regression.


RESULTS
A model comprising being male, being unemployed, having high symptomatology and disability, having low functioning and self-reported quality of life, and a high number of outpatient and community contacts accounted for 67% of the variance in total level of need.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who meet any of these criteria may be more likely to have higher needs, which has implications for clinical practice and audit. Assessment of needs for care by using the CAN provides a good overall measure of the number and the severity of a patient's problems in several key areas of everyday life.
Ruggeri
Mirella
M
Dept. of Medicine and Public Health Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. mirella.ruggeri@univr.it
Leese
Morven
M
Slade
Mike
M
Bonizzato
Paola
P
Fontecedro
Laura
L
Tansella
Michele
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011584:Psychology; D012042:Registries