Deinstitutionalisation and Managerialism in Queensland's Public Psychiatric Institutions: Challenging 'Rhetoric' with Empirical Results

Full text for this resource is not available from the Research Repository.

Doessel, Darrel P, Williams, Ruth F. G and Whiteford, Harvey (2009) Deinstitutionalisation and Managerialism in Queensland's Public Psychiatric Institutions: Challenging 'Rhetoric' with Empirical Results. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 68 (4). pp. 459-483. ISSN 0313-6647

Abstract

This article places the experience of public psychiatric institutions for the long term mentally ill in the context of New Public Management (NPM). This managerialist school of thought has been in widespread ascendancy since the 1970s. Some key characteristics of deinstitutionalisation and NPM are outlined.We then present some historical data about the temporal process of deinstitutionalisation in Queensland’s public psychiatric institutions. The time series analysis provided is of a single state since Australia’s public health care system is state-based. Although NPM is not a coherent set of principles or doctrines, it is argued that ideology and the reality may be contradicting. Some of NPM’s particular emphases are empirically analysed, in particular the view that administration/management expenditures are to be reduced, while emphasising workers ‘at the coal face’. The empirical results provide no evidence of a ‘parsimonious’ approach to management: parsimony occurs only for nursing staff. Relative expenditures on managerial functions have increased.

Dimensions Badge

Altmetric Badge

Item type Article
URI https://vuir.vu.edu.au/id/eprint/4261
DOI 10.1111/j.1467-8500.2009.00651.x
Official URL http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-...
Subjects Historical > Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > School of Economics and Finance
Historical > FOR Classification > 1117 Public Health and Health Services
Historical > FOR Classification > 1402 Applied Economics
Historical > SEO Classification > 9205 Specific Population Health (excl. Indigenous Health)
Keywords ResPubID17340. Queensland psychiatric institutions, deinstitutionalisation, mental illness, mental health policy, public psychiatric institutions, New Public Management, NPM
Citations in Scopus 4 - View on Scopus
Download/View statistics View download statistics for this item

Search Google Scholar

Repository staff login