Effectiveness of medical service quality promotion project for child and adolescent patients with mental disabilities and psychiatric disorders in Taiwan

Objective: The Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan launched a project in June 2015 and provided community mental health outreach services and outpatient psychiatric treatment for child and adolescent patients with mental disabilities and psychiatric disorders from schools and institutions and in the community. The main purpose of this study project was intended to promote medical service quality for child and adolescent patients with mental disabilities and psychiatric disorders. Methods: Service team members from seven hospitals in Taiwan, including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and case managers, provided both outreach community services and outpatient psychiatric treatment. We collected the basic data and assessment scale scores of all outpatients from June 2015 to December 2018 (n = 163). Results: The findings revealed significant improvement in the scores of the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) – CGI-Severity Scale, Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, and Children's Global Assessment Scale (p < 0.001) and significant mild-to-moderate improvement of the CGI – Improvement Scale and internalizing problems (p < 0.05) and total problems (p < 0.01) of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment. Most outpatients presented fewer mood symptoms or behavioral disturbance, more improved adaptation, and higher academic performance at schools and institutions. Conclusion: This service model thus may provide effective medical services to the child and adolescent patients with mental disabilities and psychiatric disorders through both outreach community services and outpatient psychiatric treatment.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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