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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 9/2008

01-09-2008 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Deconstructing the ‘black box’ of the Camberwell assessment of need score in mental health services evaluation

Authors: Erik Wennström, PhD, Lars Berglund, MSc, Johan Lindbäck, MSc, Frits-Axel Wiesel, MD, PhD

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 9/2008

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Abstract

Objective

The aim of the study was to examine an alternative way of scoring the Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) for the purpose of service evaluation, using the by us defined Social Services (SI) and Psychiatric Services (PI) subindices.

Methods

CAN assessments in 1997 and 1999 of 262 outpatients (mean age 45 years, 77.1% psychotic disorders) were reanalysed to fit the SI and the PI, which were compared to the full CAN.

Results

The mean total needs on the full CAN decreased from 6.65 to 6.22 (P = 0.007), as did the mean unmet needs (1.55–1.81, P = 0.049). The mean total needs on the PI decreased from 2.42 to 2.22 (P = 0.006), as did the mean unmet needs (1.66–0.57, P < 0.001). No changes in mean needs occurred on the SI.

Conclusions

All significant changes occurred on the PI, indicating a more beneficial outcome of the psychiatric care than the social care in terms of meeting needs, a result impossible to discern from the total scores of the CAN. Thus, output scores on subindices of the CAN might be useful as outcome measures in service evaluation.
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Metadata
Title
Deconstructing the ‘black box’ of the Camberwell assessment of need score in mental health services evaluation
Authors
Erik Wennström, PhD
Lars Berglund, MSc
Johan Lindbäck, MSc
Frits-Axel Wiesel, MD, PhD
Publication date
01-09-2008
Publisher
D. Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 9/2008
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0354-9

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