Evaluation of social psychiatry services

Abstract

The provision of mental health services is a field that is linked more and more with issues concerning the quality of care, its evaluation as well as its quality assurance. Linking evaluation and quality of care to mental health is directly related to the shift towards a community-oriented service system. In this chapter, we will analyse concepts related to the public mental health system in Greece, quoting contemporary literature and linking it with the main concerns of psychiatric reform and the function of a community-oriented mental health system. Following this, we will present the clinical approach with the administrative- management approach relative to the evaluation and record the basic requirements for the proper collection and use of clinical information in the health systems. Finally, we will refer to the obstacles in the implementation of evaluation in the Greek mental health system with one implementation example and will underline the significance of evaluation for the protection of the users of mental health services as the direct beneficiaries of the provided services, as well as the parties involved in mental healthcare.