Effective components of a nationwide case management program in Japan for individuals with severe mental illness.

This study identified effective components in a case management program based on the Japan Case Management Guidelines (JCM-GL). Subjects (n = 295) with severe mental illness were enrolled throughout Japan. Four outcome scales were utilized. The independent variable, "Fidelity to the JCM-GL" was the subject of interest. Case management components comprised three factors, extracted from factor analysis to fidelity scales, with the "needs-oriented approach" factor displaying the highest score. Subjects demonstrating high fidelity on this factor showed significantly higher quality of life and service satisfaction than low scorers. This component should be established first in countries where community care is underdeveloped.