Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 May 31;11(5):e047240.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047240.

Exploring goal planning in mental health service delivery: a systematic review protocol

Victoria Stewart  1   2 , Sara Sinclair McMillan  3 , Helena Roennfeldt  2   4 , Sarira El-Den  5 , Ricki Ng  5 , Amanda J Wheeler  2   6
Affiliations

Exploring goal planning in mental health service delivery: a systematic review protocol

Victoria Stewart et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: Goal planning is widely recognised as an integral part of mental health service delivery and an important element in supporting recovery. Goal planning identifies priorities for treatment through discussion and negotiation between service users and health practitioners. Goal planning enhances motivation, directs effort, and focuses the development of strategies and treatment options to improve recovery outcomes and promote service users' ownership of the recovery process. While goal planning is a common practice in mental health settings, evidence regarding its impact on treatment outcomes is lacking. This paper outlines a protocol for a systematic review that aims to explore the types of goals planned, experiences of service users and practitioners, and the effectiveness of goal planning as a mental health intervention.

Methods and analysis: A systematic search will be conducted during March 2021 by searching Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus and PsycINFO electronic databases to answer the following questions: (1) What types of goals are being developed within mental healthcare?; (2) What is the evidence for the effectiveness of goal planning on health and well-being for mental health service users?; (3) What are the experiences of mental health service users and their treating healthcare practitioners in relation to goal planning?; and (4) What are the barriers and facilitators to effective goal planning in mental health settings? Two independent researchers will screen the articles, selecting literature that meets criteria. All literature, regardless of study design that involves adult participants, with a mental illness and reporting on goal planning will be considered for inclusion. Data will be extracted from all eligible articles regardless of study design and summarised in a table. Appropriate quality assessment and data synthesis methods will be determined based on included study designs.

Ethics and dissemination: No ethics approval is required. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Prospero registration number: CRD42020220595.

Keywords: adult psychiatry; mental health; protocols & guidelines; rehabilitation medicine.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Locke EA. Toward a theory of task motivation and incentives. Organ Behav Hum Perform 1968;3:157–89. 10.1016/0030-5073(68)90004-4 - DOI
    1. Cairns AJ, Kavanagh DJ, Dark F, et al. . Goal setting improves retention in youth mental health: a cross-sectional analysis. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2019;13:31–8. 10.1186/s13034-019-0288-x - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Levack WMM, Weatherall M, Hay-Smith EJC, et al. . Goal setting and strategies to enhance goal pursuit for adults with acquired disability participating in rehabilitation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;2015:CD009727. 10.1002/14651858.CD009727.pub2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Scobbie L, Dixon D, Wyke S. Goal setting and action planning in the rehabilitation setting: development of a theoretically informed practice framework. Clin Rehabil 2011;25:468–82. 10.1177/0269215510389198 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bandura A, Freeman W, Lightsey R. Self-Efficacy: the exercise of control. Springer, 1999.