Improving quality measurement and data collection for mental health

Mental disorders account for a large burden of disease and addressing unmet need by delivering high-quality targeted interventions will greatly improve the outcomes and efficiency of mental health services. Mortality indicators such as suicide and premature mortality provide important information on mental health status and the interplay of mental and physical health, but more specific indicators are necessary to reflect the quality of mental health care. Measuring and improving the quality of mental health care is a key challenge not least given the need to capture complex care pathways and encompass a range of outcomes. Numerous ongoing and completed projects seek to measure and benchmark the quality and outcomes of mental health care at an international level in spite of the many challenges faced by such endeavors. Moreover, considerable progress in developing quality and outcomes indicators as well as mental health targets and standards has occurred at a national level. Better quality and outcome indicators are crucial for measuring and improving the quality and efficiency of mental health care yet progress in developing such data has fallen far behind other disease areas.