The INTERMED method for patients with mental disorders

integrative literature review

Abstract

Study design: Integrative literature review. Purpose: Analyzing the scientific evidence available in the literature about the use of the INTERMED method by the multidisciplinary team in patients with mental disorders. Method: The selection of articles was performed using the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), American Psychological Association (PsycINFO), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). Results: Five studies, published between 2000 and 2008, were selected for analysis. The data analyzed highlights that the INTERMED method had positive results in the identification of patients who needed complex care, which led to the implementation of rapid psychiatric interventions that reduced the length of staying in the hospital environment, the number of hospitalizations, improved the quality of life of the patients and consequently decreased health costs. Conclusion: We may affirm that there is little evidence on the subject investigated. The INTERMED method has good applicability with other instruments and has been effective in identifying patients who need complex care.