Factors influencing policymaker decision making in the behavioral health-related legislative process: A scoping review

Date

2023

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Behavioral healthcare treatments are effective, yet access remains limited across the country. Policymakers are in a unique position to close coverage gaps, but most behavioral health-related legislation fails. Past research has examined ways to influence legislator voting, but knowledge is limited regarding factors influencing the behavioral health legislative process. Thus, a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using 16 databases and Google Scholar. Results indicated that internal characteristics of the policymakers as well as external forces in their environments influenced the behavioral health-related legislative process. These results provide important implications for those who want to improve behavioral health policy.

Description

Scholarly article

Keywords

Behavioral health, decision making, influence, policy makers, scoping review

Citation

Conley, D. L., & Lane, S. R. (2023). Factors influencing policymaker decision making in the behavioral health-related legislative process: A scoping review. Social Work in Mental Health, 21(6), 587-605. https:// doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2023.2192318