Abstract
Background
The financing model of local social security directly affects the accessibility and equity of medical services, which is of great significance to the health status of the vulnerable group with mental disorders. People with mental disorders often face multiple challenges such as inadequate medical resources, low adherence to treatment, and lack of social support, resulting in low overall health. In recent years, the innovation of social security financing mechanisms in various regions has provided stable financial support for medical services and provided possibilities for improving the health status of patients with mental disorders. However, there is still little research on how local social security financing affects the health of people with mental disorders. The purpose of this study is to explore the intervention effect of medical services financed by local social security on the health of groups with mental disorders, and to provide scientific basis for optimizing resource allocation and policy formulation.
Methods
A mixed study design was adopted in this study. A total of 240 patients with mental disorders who participated in the local social security financing mechanism in a certain region were selected as research objects and randomly divided into the intervention group and the control group (120 patients each). The intervention group received intensive medical service intervention through local social security financing support, including whole-course medical care, specialist diagnosis and treatment services, and community support programs. The control group received routine medical care. The study lasted 12 months and assessed mental health, functional recovery and quality of life at baseline, 6 months and 12 months. The main measurement tools include the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-28), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), combined with in-depth interviews to understand patients’ experience of healthcare services. The data were analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA and structural equation model.
Results
The total GHQ-28 score in the intervention group decreased significantly after 12 months, from 18.5±4.2 to 11.3±3.7, which was significantly better than that in the control group, from 18.4±4.1 to 15.8±3.9, at which time P<0.05. WHOQOL-BREF scores also improved significantly in the intervention group, with total health area scores rising from 49.2±7.5 at baseline to 68.7±8.3 at 12 months (P<0.05). The results of in-depth interviews showed that patients’ satisfaction with specialist diagnosis and treatment services was significantly improved, and the community support program effectively improved patients’ social functioning and emotional state.
Discussion
The study showed that medical services supported by local social security financing significantly improved the health status and quality of life of patients with mental disorders, especially in alleviating symptoms, promoting functional recovery and improving patient satisfaction. This mechanism provides a reliable financial guarantee and innovative service model for the health intervention of mental disorder groups. Future studies can further explore the long-term effects of different financing models, and combine economic assessment to optimize the efficiency of resource allocation and promote more scientific and precise policy design.