ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a research project which has evaluated one such initiative in an English health district. It deals with a resume of the history and principles underlying the introduction of severe enduring mental illness (SEMI) registers into primary care. The chapter examines the background to the present study and the methods employed. The registers were compiled from the patient population of each general practice rather than solely from the caseloads of secondary service providers. The initial composition of the SEMI registers in the several sample practices varied considerably in terms of patient diagnosis and prevalence of SEMI in practice populations. The design was, of necessity, a naturalistic and observational examination of the introduction of SEMI registers into a 'real world', rather than experimental, setting. If SEMI registers were functioning to their theoretical potential, one might expect a more appropriate use of specialist mental health services by registered patients - the fourth hypothesis.
