Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The global need for developing comprehensive mental healthcare systems for children and adolescents has been increasingly evident. The system-of-care (SOC) model in the USA is among the most studied cases for such a system, which demonstrates how integrated services, encompassing psychiatric care, can effectively support children and adolescents with severe emotional disturbance. Over the past decades, the SOC framework has been widely expanded, with nearly every state in the USA receiving federal funding to implement or expand the SOC initiatives. The number of studies investigating the efficacy of the SOC is increasing, but no systematic review of the instruments for the evaluation of the implementation of the SOC exists today. This protocol paper documents the plan of a systematic review, which aims to identify and synthesise the existing instruments, which are designed and used to evaluate the implementation of the SOC. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocol guidelines. To identify relevant studies, we will perform a comprehensive search in five databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, ERIC, Social Work Abstracts and Web of Science. The title and abstracts of all searched articles will be screened independently by two reviewers according to the eligible criteria. Full-text screening of potentially relevant articles will be performed by at least two independent reviewers. A summary of included articles will describe the availability, progress and cultural adaptability of instruments. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The current systematic review will be solely based on previously reported data and will not involve new data collection. There are no concerns that require ethical vetting. Findings of the review will be disseminated through conference presentations and publication in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1065693.