Stakeholder Coalitions and Priorities Around the Policy Goals of a Nation-Wide Mental Health Care Reform

The difculty of implementing mental healthcare reforms owes much to the infuence of stakeholders. So far, the endorsement of mental health policy reforms by stakeholder coalitions has received little attention. This study describes stakeholder coalitions formed around common mental health policy goals and highlights their central goals and oppositions. Data were collected on the policy priorities of 469 stakeholders (policymakers, service managers, clinicians, and user representatives) involved in the Belgian mental healthcare reform. Four coalitions of stakeholders endorsing diferent mental health policy goals were identifed using a hierarchical cluster analysis on stakeholders’ policy priorities. A belief network analysis was performed to identify the central and peripheral policy goals within coalitions. Coalitions brought together stakeholders with similar professional functions. Disagreements were observed between service managers and policymakers around policy goals. The two coalitions composed of policymakers supported a comprehensive approach that combines the diferent goals and also supported the shortening of hospital stays, whereas the two coalitions composed of service managers emphasised the personal recovery of users and continuity of care. Regardless of the coalitions’ difering policy priorities, strengthening community care was a central goal while patient-centred goals were peripheral. The competing policy positions of the coalitions identifed may explain the slow and inconsistent pace of the Belgian mental healthcare reform. Strengthening community care may be an essential part of reaching consensus across coalitions. Finally, special care must be taken to ensure that patient-centred policy goals, such as social integration, are not set aside in favour of other goals.