Needs for care and effectiveness of mental health care provision for schizophrenic patients in two European regions: a comparison between Granada (Spain) and Mannheim (Germany)

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Abstract
The aims of this study were to develop an indicator for comparing the effectiveness of community mental health care across different areas, and to compare the effectiveness of care for schizophrenic patients in two European regions. In a long-term follow-up, service utilization, needs for care and met needs of schizophrenic patients were assessed. An indicator of effectiveness of care was calculated for each region and compared. Patients in Mannheim received much more intervention in all types of mental health care. Despite differing utilization patterns, the indicator of effectiveness of care revealed no differences in the area of symptoms and behaviour problems between the two regions, while significant differences in the area of skills and abilities of patients were detected. We succeeded in defining a measure that describes effectiveness of mental health care in terms of the long-term relationship between needs and unmet needs of patients. Our results contribute to an evidence-based discussion of the improvement of community mental health care networks.

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