Background factors as determinants of satisfaction with care among first-episode psychosis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of demographic and psychosocial background factors and psychiatric and functional status before and at admission on the patients' satisfaction with care (PSC) among first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients.


METHODS
One year after entering the Parachute Project, 134 FEP patients completed a patient satisfaction questionnaire. The association with demographic and psychosocial background factors, together with psychiatric and functional status before and after admission, was analysed.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine per cent of the variance of PSC was explained by factors such as educational level, social network, duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) the year prior to onset. Negative symptoms and lack of hope at admission were also predictors of PSC. The strongest predictor was DUP.


CONCLUSIONS
Affecting the public knowledge in psychiatric problems and psychiatric treatment, together with early intervention strategies aiming to decrease the prodromal and DUP period among FEP patients, can positively influence the patients' experience of given care. By increasing the knowledge of available psychiatric treatment, the sense of powerlessness might decrease among the affected persons, and the possibility of early help seeking might increase.
Mattsson
Maria
M
Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. maria.mattsson@psyk.nlpo.sll.se
Lawoko
Stephen
S
Cullberg
J
J
Olsson
Ulf
U
Hansson
Lars
L
Forsell
Yvonne
Y
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors