The journal of mental health policy and economics
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Dec 2003
Community/hospital indicators in South African public sector mental health services.
The need to balance resources between community and hospital-based mental health services in the post-deinstitutionalisation era has been well-documented. However, few indicators have been developed to monitor the relationship between community and hospital services, in either developed or developing countries. There is a particular need for such indicators in the South African context, with its history of inequitable services based in custodial institutions under apartheid, and a new policy that proposes the development of more equitable community-based care. Indicators are needed to measure the distribution of resources and the relative utilisation of community and hospital-based services during the reform process. These indicators are potentially useful for assessing the implementation of policy objectives over time. ⋯ Further research is needed into the development of mental health information systems, refining service indicators and improving methodologies for assessing the implementation of mental health policies in service delivery.