The Ethically Questionable Lack of Research Evaluation of What We Deliver in the Child and Youth Mental Health Service System

摘要

“We will try and fit in some research evaluation ofwhat we are providing if and when there is breathingspace from the more pressing delivery of clinical services”,in effect, research evaluation is nice but optional.This, I would argue, is the too often encountered stance ofchild mental health policy makers, administrators and clinicians.Underlying this stance is presumably a belief thata substantial proportion of our clinical interventions andservices result in more benefit than harm, an assumptionthat is thin on evidence. Rather, most of what is deliveredis likely a mixture of some positive effects, some nil effectsand some negative effects. What proportion falls into eachof these categories is unknown.