[Success of treatment, experience of treatment, and satisfaction with treatment from the perspective of patients, parents, and therapists--results of an evaluative study on inpatient treatment in child and adolescent psychiatry]

Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr. 2004 Apr;53(4):256-76.
[Article in German]

Abstract

In spite of the high importance of subjective opinions as essential evaluation criteria there are hardly any studies available, dealing with the research of subjective judgements made by children and adolescent patients in relation to their inpatient treatment, and comparison with the evaluation of their parents. The evaluative study on an age-group random sample survey (n=95) of patients and parents at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Heidelberg includes success of treatment, experience of treatment and satisfaction with treatment by means of specially constructed and parallelized questionnaires for patients, parents and therapists. Apart from the extent of subjectively experienced changes in precisely defined success variables, not only agreements and differences were studied, but also connections between success of treatment, experience of treatment and satisfaction with treatment as well as influences of success variables and experience variables on treatment satisfaction. Parents', patients' and therapists' evaluations of the treatment in regard of most success variables were all positive. At the end of treatment a perspective convergence was noticeable in some variables. The pressure on the parents requires special therapeutic attention. In the sense of therapy evaluation the change in the way the problem was viewed proved to be a worthwile success criterium. From the patients' and parents' point of view the change in the problem "as a whole" is mainly characterized by a positive change in emotional disposition. The therapeutic atmosphere and organisation of therapeutic relationships were highly appreciated by patients and parents. All in all patients, parents and therapists were highly satisfied with inpatient treatment. The correlations found between the grade of success, experience of treatment and satisfaction with treatment were clearly positive. On the patients' side treatment satisfaction was dictated more by their experiences during the treatment, whereas on the parents' side the success of treatment proved to be the stronger factor.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child Behavior Disorders / psychology
  • Child Behavior Disorders / therapy*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Female
  • Hospitalization*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Mental Disorders / therapy*
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Patient Satisfaction*
  • Psychotherapy*
  • Quality Indicators, Health Care