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Outcomes of a Freedom of Choice Reform in Community Mental Health Day Center Services

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Abstract

A freedom-of-choice reform within mental health day center services was evaluated. The reform aimed to (1) facilitate users’ change between units and (2) increase the availability of service providers. Seventy-eight users responded to questionnaires about the reform, empowerment, social network, engagement and satisfaction and were followed-up after 15 months. Fifty-four percent knew about the reform. A majority stated the reform meant nothing to them; ~25 % had a negative and ~20 % a positive opinion. Satisfaction with the services had decreased after 15 months. Empowerment decreased for a more intensively followed subgroup. No positive consequences of the reform could thus be discerned.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge that this study was financed by the Swedish Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, grant number 2010-1042.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science, Lund University, PO Box 157, SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden

    Mona Eklund

  2. Department of Social Work, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Urban Markström

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  1. Mona Eklund
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  2. Urban Markström
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Correspondence to Mona Eklund.

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Eklund, M., Markström, U. Outcomes of a Freedom of Choice Reform in Community Mental Health Day Center Services. Adm Policy Ment Health 42, 664–671 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0601-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0601-1

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