Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds, UK.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2021 Oct 5;21(1):1050. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06974-4.
In recent years the UK has expanded the provision of liaison mental health services (LMHS). Little work has been undertaken to explore first-hand experiences of them.
The aim of this study was to gain insights into the experiences of users of LMHS in both emergency departments and acute inpatient wards in the UK.
This cross-sectional internet survey was initially advertised from May-July 2017 using the social media platform Facebook. Due to a paucity of male respondents, it was re-run from November 2017-February 2018, specifically targeting male respondents. The survey featured a structured questionnaire divided into three categories: the profile of the respondent, perceived professionalism of LMHS and overall opinion of the service.
Responses to the structured questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics and latent class analysis. Free-text responses were transcribed verbatim and interpreted using thematic analysis.
184 people responded to the survey. 147 were service users and 37 were partners, friends or family members of service users. Only 31% of service users and 27% of close others found their overall contact helpful. Latent class analysis identified three clusters - 46% of service users generally disliked their contact, 36% had an overall positive experience, and 18% did not answer most questions about helpfulness or usefulness. Features most frequently identified as important were the provision of a 24/7 service, assessment by a variety of healthcare professionals and national standardisation of services. Respondents indicated that the least important feature was the provision of a separate service for older people. They desired faster assessments following referral from the parent team, clearer communication about next steps and greater knowledge of local services and third sector organisations.
This survey identified mixed responses, but overall experiences were more negative than indicated in the limited previous research. The evaluation and adaptation of LMHS along the lines suggested in our survey should be prioritised to enhance their inherent therapeutic value and to improve engagement with treatment and future psychiatric care.
近年来，英国扩大了联络心理健康服务（LMHS）的提供。很少有工作致力于探索他们的第一手经验。
本研究旨在深入了解英国急症部门和急性住院病房 LMHS 用户的体验。
这项横断面互联网调查最初于 2017 年 5 月至 7 月在社交媒体平台 Facebook 上发布。由于男性受访者人数较少，该调查于 2017 年 11 月至 2018 年 2 月重新进行，专门针对男性受访者。该调查采用了结构化问卷，分为三个部分：受访者简介、LMHS 的专业性感知和对服务的总体看法。
使用描述性统计和潜在类别分析对结构化问卷的回答进行分析。逐字转录自由文本回复，并使用主题分析进行解释。
184 人对调查做出了回应。147 人为服务使用者，37 人为服务使用者的伴侣、朋友或家人。只有 31%的服务使用者和 27%的亲近者认为他们的整体接触有帮助。潜在类别分析确定了三个群体——46%的服务使用者普遍不喜欢他们的接触，36%的服务使用者有整体积极的体验，18%的服务使用者没有回答大多数关于有用性或实用性的问题。被认为最重要的特征是提供 24/7 服务、由各种医疗保健专业人员进行评估以及服务的国家标准化。受访者表示，最不重要的特征是为老年人提供单独的服务。他们希望在从主要团队转介后更快地进行评估，更清楚地了解下一步的情况，并更好地了解当地服务和第三部门组织。
这项调查确定了混合的反应，但总体体验比之前有限的研究表明的更为负面。应优先评估和调整 LMHS，以增强其固有的治疗价值，并提高对治疗和未来精神保健的参与度。
