Abstract
The long term effects of untreated mental health need for individuals, families and society has prompted a number of federal policy statements encouraging the use of evidence-based programs (EBP) in children’s healthcare. However, among other challenges of evidence-based practice implementation, states often do not know where to make investments based on population need. In this paper we present the use of a Geographic Information System approach to undertake a mental health needs assessment for Washington State. Our study found that this technology can be beneficially applied to conducting needs assessment for EBP implementation, and we provide recommendations for future applications.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aoun, S., Pennebaker, D., & Wood, C. (2004). Assessing population need for mental health care: A review of approaches and predictors. Mental Health Services Research, 6(1), 33–46. doi:10.1023/B:MHSR.0000011255.10887.59.
Banta, J. E., Wiafe, S., Soret, S., & Holzer, C. (2008). A spatial needs assessment of indigent acute psychiatric discharges in California. (Report). Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 35(2), 179.
Brewin, C. R. (1992). Measuring individual needs for care and services. In G. Thornicroft, C. R. Brewin, & J. Wing (Eds.), Measuring mental health needs. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Bruns, E., Kerns, S., Pullmann, M., Hensley, S., Lutterman, T., & Hoagwood, K. (2016). Research, data, and evidence-based treatment use in state behavioral health systems, 2001–2012. Psychiatric Services, 67(5), 496–503.
Burke, B. T., Miller, B. F., Proser, M., Petterson, S. M., Bazemore, A. W., Goplerud, E., & Phillips, R. L. (2013). A needs-based method for estimating the behavioral health staff needs of community health centers. (Research article)(Report). BMC Health Services Research, 13, 245.
Chambers, D. A., Ringeisen, H., & Hickman, E. E. (2005). Federal, state, and foundation initiatives around evidence-based practices for child and adolescent mental health. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 14(2), 307–327. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2004.04.006.
Chorpita, B., Daleiden, E., & Weisz, J. (2005). Identifying and selecting the common elements of evidence based interventions: A distillation and matching model. Mental Health Services Research, 7(1), 5–10.
Dinsdale, P. (2004). The more, the better. Nursing Standard, 18(43), 12–13.
Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blase, K. A., Friedman, R. M., & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network.
Gjesfjeld, C. D., & Jung, J. K. (2014). Teaching poverty with geographic visualization and geographic information systems (GIS): A case study of East Buffalo and food access. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 34, 531–544.
Green, J., Dunn, G., Jacobs, B., Beecham, J., Briskman, J., Kroll, L., & Tobias, C. (2007). Inpatient treatment in child and adolescent psychiatry—A prospective study of health gain and costs. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 48(12), 1259–1267. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01802.x.
Greenwood, P. W., & Welsh, B. C. (2012). Promoting evidence-based practice in delinquency prevention at the state level: Principles, progress, and policy directions. CAPP Criminology & Public Policy, 11(3), 493–513.
Hoagwood, K., Burns, B. J., Kiser, L., Ringeisen, H., & Schoenwald, S. K. (2001). Evidence-based practice in child and adolescent mental health services. Psychiatric Services, 52(9), 1179–1189.
Hoagwood, K., Kelleher, K., Murray, L., & Jensen, P. (2006). Implementation of evidence-based practices for children in four countries: A project of the World Psychiatric Association. Revista Brasileira De Psiquiatria, 28(1), 59–66.
Holley, H. L. (1998). Geography and mental health: A review. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 33(11), 535–542.
Horwitz, S. M., Hurlburt, M. S., Goldhaber-Fiebert, J. D., Palinkas, L., Rolls-Reutz, J., Zhang, J., & Landsverk, J. (2014). Exploration and adoption of evidence-based practice by US child welfare agencies. Children and Youth Services Review, 39, 147–152. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.10.004.
Jiao, J., Moudon, A. V., Ulmer, J., Hurvitz, P. M., & Drewnowski, A. (2012). How to identify food deserts: measuring physical and economic access to supermarkets in King County, Washington. (Author abstract). The American Journal of Public Health, 102(10), e32.
Jones, A. M., Williams, J. R., Bond, G. R., Peterson, A. E., Drake, R. E., & McHugo, G. J. (2014). Role of state mental health leaders in supporting evidence-based practices over time. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 41(3), 347–355. doi:10.1007/s11414-013-9358-7.
Katz, S. J., Kessler, R. C., Frank, R. G., Leaf, P., Lin, E., & Edlund, M. (1997). The use of outpatient mental health services in the United States and Ontario: The impact of mental morbidity and perceived need for care. American Journal of Public Health, 87(7), 1136–1143.
Kim-Cohen, J., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Harrington, H., Milne, B. J., & Poulton, P. J. (2003). Prior juvenile diagnoses in adults: Developmental follow back of a prospective longitudinal cohort. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60, 709–717.
Krieger, N., Chen, J. T., & Waterman, P. D. (2002). Geocoding and monitoring of U.S. socioeconomic inequalities in mortality and cancer incidence: Does this choice of area-based measure and geographic level matter? American Journal of Epidemiology, 156(5), 471–482.
Kulldorff, M. (1999). Geographic information systems (GIS) and community health: Some statistical issues. Journal of public health management and practice: JPHMP, 5(2), 100–106.
Lambie, I., Ioane, J., Randell, I., & Seymour, F. (2013). Offending behaviours of child and adolescent firesetters over a 10-year follow-up. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 54(12), 1295–1307. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12126.
Lehtinen, V., Joukamaa, M., Jyrkinen, E., Lahtela, K., Raitasalo, R., Maatela, J., & Aromaa, A. (1990). Need for mental health services of the adult population in Finland: Results from the mini Finlank health survey. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 81(5), 426–431. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1990.tb05475.x.
Lomas, J. (2001). Connecting research and policy (pp. 140–144). Paris: Printemps (Spring).
Maughan, B. (2013). Editorial: Counting the cost: Estimating the burden of child mental health. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(12), 1261–1262. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12179.
McLafferty, S. L. (2003). GIS and health care. Annual Review of Public Health, 24, 25–42.
Mullner, R. M., Chung, K., Croke, K. G., & Mensah, E. K. (2004). Introduction: Geographic information systems in public health and medicine. Journal of Medical Systems, 28(3), 215–221.
Murray, C., Vos, T., Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Flaxman, A., Michaud, C., & Anderson, L. (2012). Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990–2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet, 380(9859), 2197–2223.
Nadeem, E., Olin, S. S., Hill, L. C., Hoagwood, K. E., & Horwitz, S. M. (2013). Understanding the components of quality improvement collaboratives: A systemic literature review. Milbank Quarterly, 91(2), 354–394.
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. (2003). Achieving the promise: Transforming mental health care in America (Final report). Available at: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/FinalReport/toc.html.
O’Keefe, D. J., & Jensen, J. D. (2009). The relative persuasiveness of gain-framed and loss-framed messages for encouraging disease detection behaviors: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Communication, 59(2), 296–316. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2009.01417.x.
Patton, M. Q. (2008). Utilization-focused evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Pottick, K., Kirk, S. A., Hsieh, D., & Tian, X. (2007). Judging mental disorder in youths: Effects of client, clinician, and contextual differences. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75(1), 1–8. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.75.1.1.
Rajkumar, R., Conway, P. H., & Tavenner, M. (2014). CMS: Engaging multiple payers in payment reform. Journal of American Medical Association, 311(19), 1967–1968.
Rapee, R. M., Bőgels, S. M., van der Sluis, C. M., Craske, M. G., & Ollendick, T. (2012). Annual research review: Conceptualising functional impairment in children and adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53, 454–468.
Regier, D. A., Narrow, W. E., Rae, D. S., Manderscheid, R. W., Locke, B. Z., & Goodwin, F. K. (1993). The de facto US mental and addictive disorders service system: Epidemiologic catchment area prospective 1-year prevalence rates of disorders and services. Archives of General Psychiatry, 50(2), 85–94.
Schoenwald, S. K. (2008). Towards evidence-based implementation of evidence-based treatments: MST as an example. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 17, 69–91.
Siegel, C., Laska, E., & Meisner, M. (2004). Estimating capacity requirements for mental health services after a disaster has occurred: A call for new data. American Journal of Public Health, 94(4), 582–585. doi:10.2105/AJPH.94.4.582.
Soret, S., McCleary, K. J., & Rivers, P. A. (2003). Understanding health disparities through geographic information systems. In O. A. Khan & R. Skinner (Eds.), Geographic Information Systems and Health Applications (pp. 12–42). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.
Tompkins, C., & Perloff, J. (2004). Using information to guide managed behavioral health care. Official Publication of the Association of Behavioral Healthcare Management, 31(1), 98–110. doi:10.1007/BF02287342.
Trupin, E. J., & Kerns, S. E. U. (2015). Introduction to the special issue: Legislation related to children’s evidence-based practice. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, online first.,. doi:10.1007/s10488-015-0666-5.
U.S. Public Health Service. (2001). Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Public Health Service.
Walker, S. C., Bumbarger, B. K., & Phillippi, S. W. (2015). Achieving successful evidence-based practice implementation in juvenile justice: The importance of diagnostic and evaluative capacity. Evaluation and Program Planning,. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2015.05.001.
Washington State Inventory of Public Policy. (2014). Updated inventory of evidence-based, research-based, and promising practices for prevention and intervention services for children and juveniles in the child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health systems. Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy.
Wieczorek, W. F., & Delmerico, A. M. (2009). Geographic information systems. Computational Statistics, 1(2), 167–186.
Wolch, J., & Philo, C. (2000). From distributions of deviance to definitions of difference: Past and future mental health geographies. Health & Place, 6(3), 137–157. doi:10.1016/s1353-8292(00)00019-8.
Wright, J., Williams, R., & Wilkinson, J. R. (1998). Development and importance of health needs assessment. British Medical Journal, 316, 1310–1313.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all of the providers and regional administrations in Washington State for their partnership in providing and reviewing this data. We would like to also thank Cathea Carey and Eric Trupin, PhD at the Evidence-Based Practice Institute and Faith Lai (DBHR) for pulling out the data for this study from ProviderOne and the Consumer Information System (CIS).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Walker, S.C., Hurvitz, P.M., Leith, J. et al. Evidence-Based Program Service Deserts: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Approach to Identifying Service Gaps for State-Level Implementation Planning. Adm Policy Ment Health 43, 850–860 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-016-0743-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-016-0743-4