Recommendations for the organization of mental health services for children and adolescents in Belgium: use of the soft systems methodology.
The prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents in Western countries is high. Belgium, like many other Western countries, struggles with the set-up of a coherent and effective strategy for dealing with this complex societal problem. This paper describes the development of a policy scenario for the organization of child and adolescent mental health care services (CAMHS) in Belgium. The development process relied on Soft Systems Methodology including a participatory process with 66 stakeholders and a review of the existing (inter-)national evidence. A diagnostic analysis illustrated that the Belgian CAMHS is a system in serious trouble characterized by fragmentation and compartmentalization. A set of 10 strategic recommendations was formulated to lay down the contours of a future, more effective CAMHS system. They focus on mastering the demands made on scarce and expensive specialized mental health services; strengthening the range of services - in particular for those with serious, complex and multiple mental health problems - and strengthening the adaptive capacity of and the ethical guidance within the future CAMHS system.
shiftN, Belgium.
Philippe
P
Vandenbroeck
shiftN, Belgium.
Rachel
R
Dechenne
shiftN, Belgium.
Kim
K
Becher
Belgian Healthcare Knowledge Centre, Belgium.
Marijke
M
Eyssen
Belgian Healthcare Knowledge Centre, Belgium. Electronic address: Koen.vandenheede@kce.fgov.be.
Koen
K
Van den Heede
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D016134:Organizational Policy
Adolescent; Belgium; Child; Health Services Research; Mental health services; Organizational policy