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Effects of waiting time on appointment attendance with clinical psychologists and length of treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Konstantinos S Loumidis  and
Julia M Shropshire
Konstantinos S Loumidis
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Department, North Manchester General Hospital, Delaunays Road, Crumpsal Manchester M8 5RB, England
Julia M Shropshire
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education Research and Graduate School, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, England
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Abstract

Objective: With the increasing demand for clinical psychology services and the existing shortage of clinical psychologists, it is theoretically and clinically important to identify variables associated with non-attendance for clinical psychology appointments. The study reported here attempted to: (a) examine the effect of waiting time for an appointment on non-attendance to clinical psychology services; (b) investigate variables associated with prolonged waiting time; (c) explore the nature of the relationship between waiting time and length of psychological treatment.

Method: The records of 49 3 patients offered an appointment to attend a clinical psychology service over a period of 24 months were analysed. Subsequently information on sex, age, type of referring problem, previous treatment history, treatment venue and waiting time for appointment, was collected and statistically analysed.

Results: Non-attendance was significantly related to prolonged waiting time and young age. Controlling for the effects of waiting time and age, patients with complex problems and new patients wh o had never sought psychological treatment in the past were less likely to attend. Length of waiting time was higher in groups with previous treatment history, patients seen at a hospital based department, and patients with complex problems and anxiety disorders. Finally, length of psychological treatment (total number of sessions required) was not affected by prolonged waiting time.

Conclusion: Non-attendance for clinical psychology appointments was associated with (a) young age, (b) prolonged waiting time (over six months), (c) complex psychological problems, and (d) new patients. The limitations and clinical implications of these findings are critically discussed.

Keywords

Health care utilisationOutpatient treatmentMental health servicesTreatment-compliance
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , June 1997 , pp. 49 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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