[Is patient's satisfaction with inpatient depression treatment related to their German language proficiency?].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze patient satisfaction in inpatient depression treatment depending on German language proficiency.


METHODS
Documentation of patients in 24 psychiatric hospitals in Baden-Württemberg (South Germany). The following three groups were matched according to age, gender, and education: native German speakers, non-native speakers with good German proficiency, and non-native speakers with limited German proficiency (67 in each group).


RESULTS
The number of unsatisfied patients was four times higher in the group of non-native speakers with limited German proficiency (24 %) than in the native German speakers group (6,5 %) and more then twice as high as in the group of non-native speakers with good German proficiency (10.2 %). Patient satisfaction was lower in the group of non-native speakers with limited German proficiency independent of treatment outcome than in both other groups, whereas in both groups with good German proficiency, satisfaction was associated with treatment outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Good linguistic understanding is more important for patient satisfaction in inpatient depression treatment than treatment outcome.
Bermejo
Isaac
I
Abteilung für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Germany. isaac.bermejo@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Berger
Mathias
M
Kriston
Levente
L
Härter
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019303:Multilingualism; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires