Open AccessThe New York City Mental Health Needs Assessment Study (MHNAS): Objectives, design, and methods
Author(s) -
Norman Christina C.,
McDonald Kate,
Schneider Amanda E.,
Malinovsky Igor,
Goldmann Emily,
Blauschild Michael K.,
Driver Cynthia
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of methods in psychiatric research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.275
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1557-0657
pISSN - 1049-8931
DOI - 10.1002/mpr.1606
Subject(s) - needs assessment , mental health , medicine , demographics , service (business) , sample (material) , population , mental health service , social work , psychiatry , psychology , family medicine , gerontology , environmental health , demography , social science , sociology , chemistry , economy , chromatography , economics , economic growth
Objectives This paper describes the objectives, design, and methods of the Mental Health Needs Assessment Study (MHNAS). The objective of the MHNAS was to assess the needs of individuals transitioning to the community following psychiatric hospitalization and again 3–5 months later to inform community service planning. Needs were defined broadly to include domains like housing, employment, treatment, and social support. Methods The MHNAS used a 2‐stage clustered sampling approach where the primary sampling units were hospitals and secondary sampling units were patients. The study included an in‐person patient interview, an assessment of need from a key hospital worker, and a follow‐up telephone interview 3–5 months after discharge. Results One thousand one hundred twenty‐nine patients from 8 randomly selected hospitals participated. The overall response rate was 54.3% with a cooperation rate of 71.8%. The sample was similar to the overall population of psychiatric patients with respect to several key demographics. Conclusion The MHNAS demonstrates the feasibility of conducting a needs assessment with a random sample of psychiatric inpatients in a large urban setting. Results from this study may improve community service planning to better meet individuals' needs, with the ultimate goal of reducing rehospitalization and promoting recovery.