The research team is presently working on the following three studies:

1- Determinants of adequacy of help with regard to the needs of users with severe mental health problems

This is a longitudinal study on the relationship between needs and help needed for recovery.

Principal investigators

This study aims to bring about a better understanding of the relationship between users’ needs and the help they receive as part of an effort to enhance their chances for recovery and integration within the community. Several factors that affect this relationship between needs and help are examined, including socio-demographic, economic, clinical, psychological, and environmental factors. The study answers the following questions:

  • What are the conditions that allow users to attain, maintain or restore an acceptable level of social independence and quality of life?
  • What are the key factors at play in users' recovery?

The study is primarily focused on the perspectives of users, whose point of view has too often been neglected in assessments of the help and services they need. In this study, their participation in the needs-evaluation process is viewed as a key enabling factor in their recovery.

We are currently conducting the second wave of interviews with the participants of this study. However, we are no longer recruting new participants.

To learn more about adequation of services, please consult Marie-Josée Fleury's scientific publications.

2- Roles of general practitioners (GPs) in mental health and coordination in the context of shared care

The current transformation of mental health services aims to consolidate primary care, to better integrate the provision of care, and to allow patients with mental health disorders to regain a place in the community. In order to better support the decision-making process, this research project aims to improve our understanding of the clinical and interprofessional practices of general practitioners (GPs) in the sector of mental health in Quebec as well as GPs perception of the quality of services and the strategies that should be implemented to improve the organization of the health and social services system.

Methodology
The project comprises two components, quantitative and qualitative, and is being carried out in five regions of Quebec that are representative of different environments (e.g., urban/rural; university/peripheral/intermediary, etc.).

In the first component, 398 general practitioners were surveyed about their role in mental health. RAMQ data for the years 2002 and 2006 were also used to obtain a picture of how first-line medical services in mental health are provided. In the second project component, the team will survey a sub-sample of GPs already surveyed in the first component in addition to a sample of psychiatrists with the goal of better understanding professional practices and dynamics.

Knowledge transfer
To date, a number of knowledge transfer activities have been carried out on the project, such as: symposia; presentations; media coverage; reports; articles (in preparation); and a special issue on primary care of the journal Revue Santé Mentale au Québec in Spring 2009.

This project is being conducted in close partnership with a group of decision-makers involved in organizing health services from groups such as the: MSSS; Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ); Association des médecins psychiatres du Québec (AMPQ - first research component); Association québécoise des établissements de santé et de services sociaux (AQESSS); Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ); Agences de la santé et des services sociaux (ASSS) of Chaudière-Appalaches, Montérégie, Montréal, Outaouais and Québec City; as well as university mental health institutes (Douglas and Robert-Giffard).

To learn more about the role of GPs in mental health, please consult Marie-Josée Fleury's scientific publications.

3- Organisation of the health care system

This research axis integrates several ongoing or finalized projects on:

  • The Quebec health and social services system
  • The integrated service networks (RIS)
  • Community organizations (COs)
  • Use of mental health services

A collective work that presents an overview of the health and social services system was developed in the context of the first project and included contributions by more than 50 authors from universities and the fields of management and clinical practice. Work was also carried out to trace the history of the health care system and mental health.

The second project addresses the implementation and impact of the RIS as well as the factors for successful integration. A special issue of the journal Santé mentale au Québec on the RIS was also published in 2002 as part of the team's work.

The third research component focuses on GPs, who are essential partners in the health and social services network. This study draws comparisons between GPs working in mental health in Quebec while focusing particularly on their service organization and partnership dynamics.

The fourth one deals with the health services and their trajectory of use. We study people suffering from both serious and moderate mental health problems.

To learn more about the organisation of the health care system, please consult Marie-Josée Fleury's scientific publications.