Primary Care-Led Mental Health Service Reform: An Outline of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative

Abstract

Objective: To describe the key features of the ‘Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care’ initiative (2001-2005) and to detail some of the conceptual, community, professional and epidemiological forces that shaped its content. Conclusions: The ‘Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care’ initiative represents a major development in mental health care in Australia. It recognises the central role of primary care, promotes integrated medical and psychological care, rewards treatments that occur over an episode of illness, promotes active purchasing of non-pharmacological interventions earlier in the course of illness, and attempts to better link general practitioners, non-medical mental health specialists and psychiatrists to meet population-based mental health needs. Central to its development has been a commitment by general practitioners to develop progressively better mental health skills and measure both individual consumer and system-related outcomes.