Mental health services in nursing homes: a survey of nursing home administrative personnel.
OBJECTIVE
Mental health problems are pervasive in nursing homes (NHs), but little is known regarding the delivery of mental health services in these settings. To fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted a survey of NH administrative personnel views on mental health services use.


METHODS
We analyzed 146 surveys from NH administrative personnel, reflecting 70% of the NHs that sent representatives to training conferences held at four Florida locations.


RESULTS
There is substantial provision of mental health services (approximately half of the NHs have psychologists, psychiatrists and other MDs consulting on a weekly basis) and high satisfaction with services currently offered. Mental health services are typically provided by outside consultants who most frequently address behavior problems, anxiety/fears and depression. Sub-analyses of mental health service usage by types of NHs were largely non-significant. Almost half of the NHs reported the involuntary hospitalization of at least one resident during the previous year. No barriers to mental health services were rated as serious, and no mental health services were viewed as very difficult to provide. Top perceived barriers to mental health services delivery were resident and family attitudes towards mental health services; administrator and staff attitudes were perceived to be less problematic. Specialty psychotherapeutic services were the most difficult to provide in NHs, with psychopharmacological interventions the least difficult to provide.


CONCLUSIONS
Administrators report a variety of mental health services provided by a diverse group of professionals in NHs, and are generally satisfied with the treatment provided.
Molinari
Victor
V
Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States. vmolinari@fmhi.usf.edu
Hedgecock
Deborah
D
Branch
Larry
L
Brown
Lisa M
LM
Hyer
Kathy
K
D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000368:Aged; D005431:Florida; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D019035:Rural Health Services; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services