Individualisation, personalisation and person-centredness in mental healthcare: a scoping review of concepts and linguistic network visualisation

Abstract

Background: Targeted mental health interventions are increasingly described as individualised, personalised or person-centred approaches. However, the definitions for these terms vary significantly. Their interchangeable use prevents operationalisations and measures.

Objective: This scoping review provides a synthesis of key concepts, definitions and the language used in the context of these terms in an effort to delineate their use for future research.

Study selection and analysis: Our search on PubMed, EBSCO and Cochrane provided 2835 relevant titles. A total of 176 titles were found eligible for extracting data. A thematic analysis was conducted to synthesise the underlying aspects of individualisation, personalisation and person-centredness. Network visualisations of co-occurring words in 2625 abstracts were performed using VOSViewer.

Findings: Overall, 106 out of 176 (60.2%) articles provided concepts for individualisation, personalisation and person-centredness. Studies using person-centredness provided a conceptualisation more often than the others. A thematic analysis revealed medical, psychological, sociocultural, biological, behavioural, economic and environmental dimensions of the concepts. Practical frameworks were mostly found related to person-centredness, while theoretical frameworks emerged in studies on personalisation. Word co-occurrences showed common psychiatric words in all three network visualisations, but differences in further contexts.

Conclusions and clinical implications: The use of individualisation, personalisation and person-centredness in mental healthcare is multifaceted. While individualisation was the most generic term, personalisation was often used in biomedical or technological studies. Person-centredness emerged as the most well-defined concept, with many frameworks often related to dementia care. We recommend that the use of these terms follows a clear definition within the context of their respective disorders, treatments or medical settings.

Scoping review registration: Open Science Framework: osf.io/uatsc.

Keywords: adult psychiatry; child & adolescent psychiatry.

Figure 1

PRISMA chart for study selection. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Figure 2

A language hierarchy model to illustrate the already established concepts and definitions according to their sophistication level.

Figure 3

Co-occurrences of words used in 1004 titles and abstracts of studies on individualisation. CAMH, child and adolescent mental health; EBP, evidence-based practice; IDPD, intellectual disability co-occurrent with psychiatric disorders; MTBI, mild traumatic brain injury; PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder.

Figure 4

Co-occurrences of words found in 1123 titles and abstracts of studies on personalisation. ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; BBT, brief behavioral therapy; BMI, body mass index; DHIS, digital health interventions; FND, functional neurological disorder; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder; SPSMS, standard plus personalized SMS.

Figure 5

Co-occurrences of words found in 498 titles and abstracts of studies on person-centredness. PTSL, part-time sick leave; SDS, self-rating depression scale.