Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of a 6-month strengths-based case management intervention with 45 Chinese participants with mental health problems in Hong Kong. Social workers provided service according to the strengths-based case management (SCM) model developed at the University of Kansas. Changes in participants’ recovery components (Stage of Recovery Scale), mental health symptoms (GHQ), and satisfaction with life were assessed using a single group pretest and posttest design. Results suggest that participants had some improvement in their autonomy, hope, and overall well-being as well as satisfaction with life after receiving services. No significant improvements in the other recovery components and GHQ score were found. Significantly, a number of participants progressed from stages of being overwhelmed or struggling with disability to stages of living with or beyond disability. Strengths-based practice helped participants develop a transformed self which sees hope and possibility despite the vulnerabilities caused by their illness. Though further refinement and testing are vital, adoption of SCM in Hong Kong mental health services is promising.
Highlights
This study examined the effectiveness of a 6-month strengths-based case management intervention with 45 Chinese participants with mental health problems in Hong Kong
The current study provides the first empirical evaluation of strengths-based case management (SCM) practice with people with mental illness in a mental health setting in Hong Kong
Though the design lacks the rigor of randomized control group designs, it does provide data regarding the effectiveness of SCM in improving and enhancing the recovery of individuals with mental illness
Summary
Participants were recruited from two ICCMWs operated by the same organization in Hong Kong. Three self-reported questionnaires were used in the current study: the Stages of Recovery Scale (SRS; Song & Hsu, 2011), the Chinese version of the General Health Questionnaire (C-GHQ-12; Lee et al, 1985), and the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). The short form of the Chinese version of the General Health Questionnaire is a self-reported scale commonly used to measure mental health status and distress in a Hong Kong population (Goldberg & Williams, 1988; Lee, Lam, Ong, Wang, & Kleevens, 1985) It consists of 12 items (six positive and six negative) measuring the frequency of nonpsychotic mental health symptoms on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (usually). The current study yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of .89
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