Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T07:11:03.875Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

First-onset psychotic illness: Patients'and relatives' satisfaction with services

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Gerard Leavey ,
Michael King ,
Eleanor Cole ,
Amanda Hoar  and
Eric Johnson-Sabine
Gerard Leavey*
Affiliation:
Research Department, St Ann's Hospital, London
Michael King
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London
Eleanor Cole
Affiliation:
Research Department, St Ann's Hospital, London
Amanda Hoar
Affiliation:
Research Department, St Ann's Hospital, London
Eric Johnson-Sabine
Affiliation:
Research Department, St Ann's Hospital, London
*
Gerard Leavey, Research Fellow, Research Department, St Ann's Hospital, St Ann's Road, London N15 3TH
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Despite the growth in patient satisfaction studies, scant attention has been paid to the satisfaction of patients with a first episode of psychotic illness soon after presentation to services. We were particularly interested in any ethnic differences in satisfaction at this seminal stage in patient care.

Method

Using multi-item questionnaire, face-to-face interviews were conducted with patients and relatives 12 months after first contact with psychiatric services. Relatives were also questioned on support and advice issues related to after-care.

Results

Most patients and relatives were generally satisfied with the treatment, and with the ‘humane’ qualities of psychiatric staff, but were less satisfied with the ‘hotel’ aspects of hospital care. Patients, and particularly relatives, were most concerned about levels of information and advice received. Relatives were dissatisfied with after-care. There were no significant differences between Black and other patients, but some differences between their relatives. Patients born abroad were significantly more satisfied than those born in Britain, irrespective of ethnicity. Compulsory detention under the Mental Health Act was also significant in determining low satisfaction for patients and especially for their relatives.

Conclusions

For improved care in the community patients and their relatives need to be seen as partners in care rather than as passive recipients. The issue of information-giving by psychiatric services demands serious attention. Black patients and their relatives were not especially likely to be dissatisfied.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 170 , Issue 1 , January 1997 , pp. 53 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berkowitz, R., Shavit, N. & Leff, J. P. (1990) Educating relatives of schizophrenic patients. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 25, 216–220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruster, S., Jarman, B., Bosanquet, N., et al (1994) National survey of hospital patients. British Medical Journal. 309, 1542–1549.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cole, E., Leavey, G., King, M., et al (1995) Pathways to care for patients with first episode of psychosis. A comparison of ethnic groups. British Journal of Psychiatry 167, 770–776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dapartmant of Health (1990) The Care Programme Approach. HC(90)23. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Farnando, S. (1991) Mental Health. Race and Culture. London-Macmillan.Google Scholar
Francis, E., David, J., Johnson, N., et al (1989) Black people and psychiatry in the UK. Psychiatric Bulletin. 13, 482–485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grella, C. E. & Grusky, O. (1909) Families of the seriously mentally ill and their satisfaction with services. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 40, 831–835.Google Scholar
King, M., Colier, E., Leavey, G., et al (1994) Incidence of psychotic illness in London: a conrparison of ethnic groups. British Medical Journal, 309 115–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kulpers, L. & Bebbington, P. (1985) Relatives as a resource in the management of functional illness. British Journal of Psychiatry 147, 465–470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larssen, D., Attkinson, C., Hargreaves, W., et al (1979) Assessment of client/patient satisfaction: Development of a general scale. Evaluation and Program Planning, 2, 19–20.Google Scholar
Labow, J. (1982) Consumer satisfaction with mental health treatment. Psychological Bulletin. 91 244–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leff, J., Kuipers, L., Berkowitz, R., et al (1982) A controlled trial of social intervention in the families of schizophrenic patients. British Journal of Psychiatry 141, 121–134.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGovern, D., & Cope, R. (1991) Second generation Afro-Caribbeans and young whites with a first admission diagnosis of schizophrenia. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 26, 95–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGovern, D., Cope, R. & Hammings, P. (1994) A follow-up of second generation Afro-Caribbeans and white British with a first admission diagnosis of schizophrenia: Attitudes to mental illness and psychiatric services of patients and relatives. Social Science and Medicine. 38, 117–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruggari, M. (1994) Patients' and relatives' satisfaction with psychiatric services: The state of the art of its measurement. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 29 212–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sashidharan, S. P. (1993) Afro-Caribbeans and schizophrenia: The ethnic vulnerability hypothesis re-examined. International Review of Psychiatry 5, 129–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Svensson, B. & Hansson, L. (1994) Patient satisfaction with inpatient care. The influence of personality traits, diagnosis and perceived coercioa Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 90, 379–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, A. (1993) Inpatients' opinions of the quality of acute hospital care: Discrimination as the key to measurement validity In Measurement of Patients Satisfaction with their Care (eds Fitzpatrick, R. & Hopkins, A.), pp 19–32. London: Royal College of Physicians.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.