The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (MDMH) seeks to improve the quality of life for adults with serious and persistent mental illness and children with serious mental or severe emotional disturbance. MDMH works to ensure access to an integrated network of services that promotes consumer rights, responsibilities, rehabilitation, and recovery. As part of promoting and protecting consumer rights, the MDMH has sought to expand the scope and relevance of advance care planning for its clients.
With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program, Promoting Excellence in the End of Life Care, the MDMH is studying issues in mental illness and end-of-life care. The project is examining the capacity of people with mental illness to choose a health care proxy as well as their health care preferences.
The MacArthur Competency Assessment Tool-Proxy (Mac-CAT-P). This project includes evaluation of current practice, knowledge, and attitudes surrounding end-of-life care delivery to people with serious mental illness (SMI). Researchers will use the Mac-CAT-P interview to determine the extent to which people with SMI are able to understand and appreciate the benefits and risks of selecting a health care proxy as part of the advance care planning process.
The Health Care Preferences Questionnaire. This questionnaire will provide a more complete understanding of the ability of people with mental illness and with other chronic illnesses to express their preferences regarding medical health care. This part of the study will help to determine how best practices in end-of-life care can be constructed and implemented among patients with mental illness. Identifying the factors that influence the individuals’ decision-making capacities in selecting a health care proxy will enable researchers to recommend specific protections for people with serious mental illness.
Accurate information about the treatment preferences of people with SMI will help health care providers to work collaboratively with clients to develop treatment plans that encompass end-of- life care issues. The information gathered by the End of Life Care for Persons with Serious Mental Illness grant will:
The MDMH is the first state government organization to explore this important issue surrounding end-of-life decision-making among people with mental illness. Program leaders hope to learn a great deal - and contribute more to the field as the project progresses.
For more information, contact:
Steven Carreras, LICSW
Steven.Carreras@DMH.state.ma.us
www.umassmed.edu/endoflifecare
<<< Previous Next >>> [ Go Up ]