Implementing a new mental health policy in Sweden

Background: Sweden faces increasing problems related to mental ill-health. To address this problem, the government recently launched a new mental health policy to cover mental health issues in general. Purpose of study: This study aimed to explore the implementation process of the new mental health policy. Methods/Theory: A case study was conducted in which national governance and regional response constituted the main elements of the case. A period of 4 years was chosen. In all, 68 national and regional key documents were selected for the analysis. Theories of implementation processes and governance strategies were used to enhance the understanding of the data. Findings: The implementation process showed the following the distinctive features: 1) a broad range of target groups were addressed from persons at risk of mental ill-health to persons suffering from severe mental illness; 2) the whole spectra from preventive interventions to treatment interventions were included; 3) the mental health of children and youth was prioritized; and 4) the character of the governance gradually shifted over time from an open to a more targeted approach. A major difficulty associated with the implementation process was the lack of options to systematically follow-up government policy efforts. Conclusion: The broad definition of mental health care and support meant there were regional variations in the prioritizing of groups, as well as regional variations on the working methods used