Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research最新文献

{"title":"A Literature Review on the Role of Paraprofessionals in Delivering Brief Psychological Interventions","authors":"Emily J. Lubin,&nbsp;Alice Xie,&nbsp;Mu-Yin Chang,&nbsp;Youngsuk Kim","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01482-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01482-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The global demand for mental health services exceeds available resources, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access remains limited. Even in high-resource nations, many individuals still lack adequate care, a gap exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Brief psychological interventions (BPIs) offer a structured, short-term therapeutic approach to address this need. Typically delivered in fewer than ten sessions, BPIs incorporate evidence-based therapy components and can be administered by paraprofessionals, non-credentialed individuals trained to provide mental health support. This review synthesizes research on paraprofessionally delivered BPIs by describing study characteristics across populations, settings, and intervention modalities, characterizing the paraprofessional workforce, and summarizing reported mental health outcomes and patterns of effectiveness. A PsycINFO and PubMed search identified 47 articles, including 45 unique studies. To provide a clearer picture of effectiveness, box-score analyses were conducted on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pilot/feasibility RCTs. Findings indicate that paraprofessional-delivered BPIs, particularly those grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and delivered remotely, are consistently effective across diverse populations and contexts. The evidence base is strongest for adult populations and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outcomes, with weaker support for adolescents and school-based programs. Paraprofessionals’ cultural and community alignment also enhanced engagement and reduced stigma-related barriers. Nonetheless, inconsistencies in training, supervision, intervention fidelity, and recruitment criteria present challenges for scalability. This review highlights the absence of a rigorously tested definition of BPIs and the lack of consensus on the term <i>paraprofessional</i>. It underscores the need for standardized training and supervision guidelines to ensure fidelity and sustainability. Further research is essential to refine best practices and optimize paraprofessionals’ integration into mental health systems, thereby improving accessibility and equity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 1","pages":"77 - 92"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145534368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Potential Role of Peer Support Workers in General Practice: Perspectives of Consumers, Carers, Peer Support Workers and General Practice Staff","authors":"Sharon Lawn,&nbsp;Megan Rattray,&nbsp;Belinda Fuss,&nbsp;Tania Shelby-James,&nbsp;Louise Byrne,&nbsp;Paul Worley,&nbsp;Sam Manger,&nbsp;Geoff Harris,&nbsp;Bill Guy,&nbsp;Amaya Alvarez,&nbsp;Daya Henkel,&nbsp;Paul Creedon,&nbsp;Tony Stevenson,&nbsp;Vivian Isaac,&nbsp;Billy Kaambwa,&nbsp;Shahid Ullah,&nbsp;Caroline Phegan","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01479-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01479-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Primary care (general practice) clinics play a significant role in ongoing mental health care and assessment, treatment, and referral of people experiencing distress. Peer support workers (PSWs) are part of the growing Lived Experience workforce in many mental healthcare settings and evidence for their value is growing rapidly. Yet, this workforce is largely absent from primary care. Qualitative interviews with 10 consumers, six family carers, eight PSWs, and 14 general practice doctors, nurses and administrative staff occurred prior to a real-world trial and explored their perceptions of the potential benefits of introducing a PSW intervention for people who seek help for their mental health within primary care in Australia. Interview data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clark’s six-step guide, following an inductive approach. Four themes were identified: (1) offering companionship, validation, and hope; (2) sharing learnings and providing practical support; (3) aiding in communication and offering consistency to help address service system gaps and health service navigation; and (4) redistributing power and advocacy. There was strong agreement across interviewees about potential positive impacts that PSWs could have in enhancing mental health care in primary care. These benefits require testing within primary care, given known challenges with awareness and understanding of the PSW role by other health professional disciplines in mental health settings, and differences related to how peer support and primary care practice are delivered. Overall, these perspectives and the existing evidence suggest that peer support may lead to more responsive, safe, effective, and person-centred primary mental health care.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"125 - 141"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13009013/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental Health Leadership Perspectives on the Value of a National Virtual Contingency Staffing Program in the Veterans Health Administration","authors":"Michael McGowan,&nbsp;Danielle Rose,&nbsp;Amy Bonilla,&nbsp;Neetu Chawla,&nbsp;Susan Stockdale","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01480-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01480-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Temporary mental health (MH) staffing gaps are common and may compound access challenges due to increasing demand for MH care combined with a shrinking MH workforce. In 2019, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) implemented a system of 18 regionally based Clinical Resource Hubs (CRHs) staffed with remote providers delivering virtual MH care. While the program demonstrated promise during early implementation for effectively addressing some access challenges, its sustainment may depend partly on leaders’ perceptions of its ability to meet and adapt to access-related priorities. Our aim was to explore and describe how VA regional MH leadership identified and weighed values of the CRH during early implementation, and how it might have functioned beyond filling temporary staffing gaps. We conducted semi-structured interviews with CRH MH leaders (<i>n</i> = 36) across all 18 VA administrative regions. We analyzed data using a rapid qualitative approach that included templated summaries and matrix analysis. Three key perceived values of the CRH were identified: (1) its potential to offer a more integrated care experience than community (VA-purchased) care in some cases, (2) its ability to provide specialized MH services (e.g., suicide prevention) to rural areas and, (3) its capacity to improve MH provider recruitment and satisfaction. Virtual care delivered through the CRH can be a flexible option for maintaining access to MH services during staffing shortages. MH leaders’ perspectives suggest the CRH program is not only a contingency staffing solution to access problems, but provides additional values that could be leveraged to improve MH care services more generally.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 1","pages":"107 - 114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145436591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining Multilevel Correlates of Therapist Participation in Learning Collaborative Training Requirements for Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","authors":"Daneele Thorpe,&nbsp;Shelby Wade,&nbsp;Carole Swiecicki,&nbsp;Kathy Reid-Quinones,&nbsp;Rochelle F. Hanson","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01477-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01477-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Trauma exposure is prevalent among youth and associated with adverse outcomes. While evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for trauma-exposed youth exist, widespread dissemination into community practice is challenged by clinicians’ abilities to engage in EBT training. These challenges stem from many individual, agency, and neighborhood-level factors. This study utilized data from 231 therapists who participated in a statewide Learning Collaborative (LC) on TF-CBT to explore how individual, agency, and neighborhood-level factors may influence their level of participation in the training requirements. Preliminary results indicated that agencies in resource-deprived neighborhoods were associated with having therapists with more PTSD experience, but also reduced interagency collaboration and less use of agency-level trauma-informed practices. In contrast, therapists in neighborhoods with higher violent crime rates were reported to have less experience with trauma-exposed youth, yet their agencies had fewer reported community barriers, increased interagency collaboration, and more agency-level trauma-informed care. Finally, agency-level correlates of LC training participation suggest that agencies face a delicate balance in managing different aspects of evidence-based practices (EBPs) care and EBTs. Findings emphasize considering contextual factors when disseminating EBTs, as ensuring an optimal environment for training participation ultimately addresses growing mental health disparities for trauma-exposed youth.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 1","pages":"47 - 63"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145436629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychiatry Consultation Clinic: A Model that Improves Access to Care and Corresponds to Decreased Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms","authors":"Catherine Parker,&nbsp;Sejal Mahajan,&nbsp;Christine Beran Flicek,&nbsp;Xiaoming Zeng,&nbsp;Nathaniel A. Sowa","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01476-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01476-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Access to outpatient psychiatric care is often delayed, with many patients unable to obtain timely specialty evaluation. Integrated care models such as Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) and co-located care improve outcomes but have not been widely adopted due to resource and structural barriers. Direct outpatient psychiatric consultation may offer a feasible alternative, yet its effectiveness remains understudied.</p><p>We conducted a retrospective review of the Psychiatry Consultation Clinic (PCC) at a large academic medical center. The PCC provides diagnostic clarification and treatment recommendations to primary care providers (PCPs) rather than longitudinal psychiatric care. Adult patients (≥18 years) referred between October 2019 and October 2022 from family and internal medicine practices were included (N = 545). Primary outcomes were: (1) time to implementation of consult recommendations; (2) rate of psychotropic medication implementation; and (3) changes in anxiety (Gretrospective review of the Psychiatry Consultation AD-7) and depression (PHQ-9) scores. Secondary outcomes included psychiatric diagnoses and subsequent referrals for specialty care.</p><p>The median time from referral to consultation was 5 weeks, substantially shorter than the average 6-month wait for traditional psychiatry appointments within the same system. Most patients (88.1%) were seen once, and 83.1% of visits were conducted via telemedicine. Pharmacotherapy was recommended for 81.8% of patients, and 81.4% had at least one recommendation implemented, typically within 1–3 weeks. Antidepressants accounted for two-thirds of recommendations. For patients with pre- and post-consultation data, mean GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores decreased significantly (−2.9 and −5.0 points, respectively; both p &lt; 0.0001), with clinically meaningful improvements observed in depression symptoms. Nearly one-quarter of patients were referred for longitudinal specialty psychiatric care, with 70% establishing follow-up within six months.</p><p>The direct consultation model was feasible, resulted in high uptake of recommendations by PCPs, and was associated with improvements in patient symptoms, particularly depression. Compared with integrated models, this approach may be easier to implement in primary care settings with limited behavioral health infrastructure. Prospective controlled studies are warranted to establish the efficacy of this outpatient consultation model and compare it to other paradigms within the continuum of psychiatric care.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 1","pages":"38 - 46"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Redefining Who Can Deliver Mental Health Interventions: Introduction to the Special Issue on Nontraditional Mental Health Providers to Address Growing Mental Health Needs","authors":"Soo Jeong Youn,&nbsp;Leonard Bickman,&nbsp;Kimberly Arnold","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01478-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01478-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The global demand for mental health services has surged in recent years, yet the supply of trained specialists remains insufficient to meet population needs. This imbalance has prompted an urgent call to reconsider who can deliver effective mental health interventions. This special issue, <i>Leveraging Nontraditional Mental Health Providers to Address Growing Mental Health Needs</i>, brings together 17 contributions that examine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of nontraditional providers—peers, teachers, primary care providers, nurses, community health workers, and other lay providers—in diverse settings and populations. Collectively, these studies highlight how nontraditional providers can deliver both treatment and prevention interventions across schools, healthcare systems, community organizations, and virtual platforms. The findings demonstrate the promise of expanding the mental health workforce beyond traditionally credentialed specialists, while also identifying critical factors related to training, supervision, cost-effectiveness, and implementation. Importantly, the contributions illustrate that these providers are already filling essential gaps in access, particularly for children, underserved communities, older adults, and other priority populations. Taken together, the special issue underscores that the central challenge is no longer whether nontraditional providers can effectively deliver mental health interventions, but how to scale, sustain, and integrate these models into broader systems of care.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"52 :","pages":"1031 - 1035"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145312223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing the Gap: Real-World Evidence of Technology-Enabled Coaching Services for Mental Health","authors":"Sara Sagui Henson,&nbsp;Komal Kumar,&nbsp;Kristen M. Van Swearingen,&nbsp;Jessica Watrous,&nbsp;Neha Chaudhary","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01473-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01473-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A quarter of US adults face mental health challenges, yet less than half receive treatment, partly due to therapist shortages. Scaling trained paraprofessionals to provide effective care could address this gap. We evaluated the impact of evidence-based coaching within a real-world blended care digital mental health platform. 266 working adults (62% women, <i>M</i>_<i>age</i>=33 years, 40% people of color) newly enrolled (2021–2022) in the platform (Modern Health) completed surveys at baseline and 3-months. Participants primarily engaged with certified professional coaches and could also access therapy and digital resources. We examined pre-post changes in outcomes and differences by baseline clinical status. Participants used an average of 2.5 coaching sessions and improved in distress tolerance (+ 4.1%), perceived stress (-8.4%), self-compassion (+ 5.9%), and mindfulness (+ 2.6%) (<i>p</i>s &lt; 0.01). Although elevated risk users (vs. lower risk) reported descriptively greater improvements in distress tolerance (+ 4.7% vs. +3.7%), perceived stress (-10% vs. -3.7%), self-compassion (+ 7.6% vs. +5.2%), and mindfulness (+ 3.3% vs. +2.1%), these differences were not statistically significant (<i>p</i>s &gt; 0.05). Depression (-22.5%) and anxiety (-12%) improved (<i>p</i>s &lt; 0.001), with elevated risk users reporting greater reductions (<i>b</i>=-3.15, <i>p</i> &lt; .001 for depression; <i>b</i>=-2.61, <i>p</i> &lt; .001 for anxiety). Among elevated risk users, 71.7% improved or recovered from depression or anxiety and 96.1% of lower risk users maintained lower depression and anxiety. Technology-enabled coaching, as part of a blended care platform, improved depression, anxiety, and transdiagnostic emotional processes. Participants with higher baseline depression and anxiety reported greater improvements, highlighting coaching’s effectiveness for people with elevated needs. By redefining care and leveraging technology, coaching may be a scalable treatment solution.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"52 :","pages":"1311 - 1326"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10488-025-01473-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145181750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inner and Outer Contextual Factors Impacting Mental Health and Criminal Legal Cross-Systems Collaborations","authors":"Stacey L. Barrenger,&nbsp;Leslie L. Wood,&nbsp;Natalie Bonfine","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01474-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01474-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>People with serious mental illnesses continue to be overrepresented within the criminal legal system despite multiple diversion and reentry intervention efforts. Engaging in a coordinated systems-level approach to this problem has increased, as mental health criminal legal cross-systems collaborations, like Stepping Up and Sequential Intercept Mapping, proliferate across the United States. Despite their proliferation, little is known about how these cross-systems collaborations operate, including what factors are present and how these factors help or hinder group effectiveness. Stakeholders engaged in mental health criminal legal cross systems collaboration participated in focus groups and in-depth interviews. Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework to guide the analysis, findings showed that inner, outer, and bridging factors feature predominately in cross-systems collaborations. Inner and outer contextual factors like leadership, values, funding, and data accessibility are important to their operations. Additionally, bridging factors of purveyors (engaging in technical assistance) and systems-level collaboration strategies (cross-training, sequential intercept mapping, and data sharing) were important to supporting sustainability. Future research should investigate which systems-level collaboration factors are tied to the implementation of new practices, programs, and policies which in turn may improve the behavioral healthcare system and health outcomes for people with serious mental illnesses.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 1","pages":"24 - 37"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10488-025-01474-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145079068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective Study of Homelessness among Transitioning Service Members Within Two Years after Military Service","authors":"Jack Tsai,&nbsp;Dorota Szymkowiak","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01475-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01475-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aimed to identify predictors of homelessness among transitioning service members (TSM) in the military. Data from the U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) were analyzed. A total of 211,530 TSM discharged from military service between August 2022 to December 2023. Military and clinical characteristics of TSM were examined along with any indicator of homelessness in VA records within 1 and 2 years after military discharge. Multivariable logistic regression and survival analyses were conducted. Results found that the incidence of homelessness among TSM was 1.85% within 1 year of military discharge and 2.95% within 2 years of military discharge. Among the strongest predictors of homelessness, TSM who were non-Hispanic black (aOR = 3.16, 95% CI = 2.92–3.41) or who had reasons for military discharge related to hardship (aOR = 3.26, 95% CI = 2.54–4.118), mental health/substance use (aOR = 3.89, 95% CI = 3.42–4.41), or criminal activity (aOR = 4.24, 95% CI = 3.76–4.78) were at risk of homelessness within 1 year of military discharge. Similar predictors were found among TSM for homelessness in year 2 suggesting the risk factors remain the same over time. In conclusion, some of the risks for homelessness may be ascertained from TSM while they are still in the military. Special support for TSM who are discharged due to hardship, mental health/substance use problems, and criminal activity may help prevent homelessness among veterans.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 1","pages":"14 - 23"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145074240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preferences for Decision-Making Style and Knowledge of and Attitudes To Recovery in Mental Health Professionals Working in Inpatient and Outpatient Settings in Routine Mental Health Practice: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in the Danish Mental Health Services","authors":"Lisa Korsbek,&nbsp;Stine Bjerrum Moeller,&nbsp;Marie Bonde,&nbsp;Rikke Amalie Agergaard Jensen","doi":"10.1007/s10488-025-01472-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10488-025-01472-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In mental health care, shared decision making (SDM) is a central part of the recovery paradigm. However, implementing SDM can be challenging, and professionals may prefer different decision-making styles. This study explored preferences for decision-making style and examined their association with knowledge of and attitudes to recovery among mental health professionals in routine hospital-based services. An exploratory cross-sectional survey was conducted among mental health professionals (<i>N</i> = 552) in hospital-based services in one of Denmark’s five regions. Preferences for decision-making style were measured using the Clinical Decision Making Style Scale – Staff Questionnaire, while professionals’ knowledge of and attitudes to recovery were assessed using the Recovery Knowledge Inventory. Although the majority of participants (72.4%) preferred a shared decision-making style, there were differences in preferences based on profession, work experience, and setting. One in five reported having received SDM training, and fewer reported having access to decision-support tools. Indications of differences in knowledge of and attitudes to recovery between professionals’ preferences for decision-making styles were found: those who preferred a shared or active style seemed to score higher on the RKI compared to those who preferred a passive, clinician-led style. While descriptive in nature, the findings suggest patterns in decision-making preferences that may help inform future implementation efforts. The results also suggest a potential alignment between endorsement of shared- or active decision-making styles and recovery-oriented values. Further research is needed to investigate how preferences translate into actual clinical practice and how knowledge about and attitudes to recovery may be operationalized as recovery-oriented care.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7195,"journal":{"name":"Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research","volume":"53 1","pages":"1 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10488-025-01472-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145051311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}