title: Patient satisfaction with outpatient psychiatric treatment: the role of diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, and perceived therapeutic change.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of diagnosis, type of treatment, and perceived therapeutic change on patient satisfaction following psychiatric treatment for nonpsychotic, nonsubstance-related disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We mailed questionnaires, including Larsen's Client Satisfaction Questionnaire and Grawe's Bern Inventory of Treatment Goals, to outpatients who had undergone 8 or more therapy sessions 1 year following treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with somatoform, eating, and personality disorders were less satisfied than patients with affective, anxiety, and adjustment disorders. Symptom reduction and changes in the interpersonal domain were important outcomes associated with patient satisfaction. Although pharmacotherapy itself was not related to patient satisfaction, patients who perceived improvements in pharmacotherapy as one of the most important treatment outcomes were less satisfied than others. Preliminary evidence shows that coping with specific problems and symptoms is associated with satisfaction among male patients, whereas changes in the interpersonal domain seem to produce satisfaction among female patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient-reported change and diagnostic category appear to play a relevant role in generating patient satisfaction. Further research is needed to clarify the interactions between sex, perceived outcome, and satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, Zurich University Hospital, Switzerland. g.hasler@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasler
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moergeli
authors.forename: Rosilla
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: Evelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lambreva
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buddeberg
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schnyder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires