Integrating youth mental health practice nurses into general practice: effects on outpatient mental health care utilization among children and adolescents.

ABSTRACT: Integration of child mental health services in general practice may improve early detection and treatment and reduce strain on specialized services. In this study we investigated whether outpatient mental health care utilization and associated costs in children and adolescents were affected by the introduction of youth mental health practice nurses (YMHPNs) in general practice. We linked healthcare data of the Rijnmond Primary Care Database to municipal registry data on child outpatient mental health care expenditures between 2019 and 2022. Using mixed models, we assessed if the presence of a YMHPN in practices was associated with outpatient mental health care utilization. Our cohort consisted of 33,971 children aged 0-17 years registered in 38 general practices in Rotterdam, the Netherlan

SUBMITTER: Koet LBM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12334438 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature