Perceptions of interprofessional collaboration within child mental health care in Norway

Abstract

The present study investigates professionals' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in the field of mental health care for children and adolescents. In this study, a 48-item questionnaire was developed to measure perceptions of interprofessional collaboration. A theoretical model (PINCOM) is presented and suggests that interprofessional collaboration is perceived at the individual-, group- and organizational level. The questionnaire was distributed to a sample consisting of 157 professionals in Western Norway. The results of this exploratory study show that the most prominent constructs of collaboration perceived by the professionals were: motivation, group leadership, social support and organizational culture. Furthermore, results indicate that women are more oriented than men toward IPC aspects of communication, coping and organizational domain. It is suggested that the questionnaire may be used to help improve interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice by indicating new ways to enhance dialogue between professionals and to investigate changes in perception of interprofessional collaboration over time. Limitations of the present study were identified and suggestions for future studies within the field are provided.