International mental health outcomes and benchmarking using the FACE approach

Abstract

This article describes and compares the nature and severity of problems encountered by persons receiving mental healthservices in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the outcome of their treatment. The perspective of service providersand service users in the two countries was strikingly similar. Treatment was effective in alleviating problems withsocial circumstances, and in increasing adaptive and interpersonal functioning. Treatment was less effective inaddressing psychological or physical problems. Service users in the United Kingdom were more involved in developingtheir treatment care plan than those in Australia. The study demonstrates how data required for benchmarking andoutcome evaluation purposes can be generated as part of routine clinical processes.