title: The effectiveness of personal budgets for people with mental health problems: a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Personal budgets are a key policy priority in adult social care in England and are expected to become increasingly important in the care of adults with mental health problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article systematically reviews evidence for the effectiveness of personal budgets for people with mental health problems across diverse outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The review, conducted in 2013, used the EPPI-Centre methodology for conducting a systematic review informed by Social Care Institute for Excellence guidelines. Data were extracted from studies and combined using meta-synthesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen studies were included in the review which found mostly positive outcomes in terms of choice and control, quality of life, service use and cost-effectiveness. However, methodological limitations make these findings rather unreliable and insufficient to inform personal budgets policy and practice for mental health service users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further high quality studies are required to inform policy and practice for mental health service users, which lags behind other adult social care groups in the use of personal budgets.
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Mental Health Social Research, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York , Heslington, York , UK .
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Treacy
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002017:Budgets; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life