North Birmingham assertive outreach evaluation of service users' quality of life

Abstract

Background: Although there is some evidence for the benefit of assertive outreach teams in reducing psychiatric bed usage, it is less certain whether they result in improvements to service users' quality of life.

Aims: To examine the change in quality of life of service users two years after their inception into an assertive outreach team.

Method: Service users (n = 250) newly taken into five assertive outreach teams in the UK were followed up over two years. Objective and subjective quality of life was assessed at baseline and follow up.

Results: There were significant gains in service users' objective quality of life notably an increase in income at the end of two years. Overall subjective quality of life also improved significantly reflecting an increase in scores across all domains aside from family relations.

Conclusions: Service users in contact with assertive outreach teams may experience an improvement in both objective and subjective measures of quality of life.

Declaration of interest: None

Keywords:

• Assertive outreach
• evaluation
• outcomes
• severe mental illness
• quality of life