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Personalised support delivered by support workers for people with severe and persistent mental illness: a systematic review of patient outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2011

D. Siskind ,
M. Harris ,
J. Pirkis  and
H. Whiteford
D. Siskind*
Affiliation:
Policy and Evaluation Group, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Metro South Division of Mental Health, Brisbane, Australia
M. Harris
Affiliation:
Policy and Evaluation Group, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
J. Pirkis
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
H. Whiteford
Affiliation:
Policy and Evaluation Group, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
*
*Address for correspondence: D. Siskind, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park – Centre for Mental Health, Locked Bag 500, Sumner Park BC, QLD 4074, Australia. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Aims.

Personalised support services assist patients with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) to live with functional deficits by providing living skills, emotional support, community access and advocacy. This paper aims to systematically review the evidence for personalised support.

Methods.

Systematic searches of Medline, PsycINFO and Google Scholar (inception to March 2011) identified studies investigating patient outcomes for personalised support services. The quality of the selected studies was assessed. The strength of evidence for the three categories of patient outcomes (illness acuity, personal functioning and patient satisfaction) was graded.

Results.

Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria with most rated as having moderate or weak study designs. The selected studies evaluated programs for outpatients with SPMI. There was moderate strength of evidence for reducing illness acuity and improving patient satisfaction with services, and weak strength of evidence for improving personal functioning in studies published to date. Most programs delivered multiple service types, and no clear pattern of service types leading to specific patient outcomes could be discerned.

Conclusions.

Although evidence published to date for personalised support is of variable quality, it suggests that services may be effective. More research on the effects of personalised support subtypes on patient outcomes is required.

Keywords

severe mental illnesssupportpsychosocialoutcomes
Type
Original Articles
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , March 2012 , pp. 97 - 110
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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