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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 8/2008

01-08-2008 | ORIGINAL PAPER

User satisfaction with child and adolescent mental health services

Impact of the service unit level

Authors: Johan Håkon Bjørngaard, MA, Helle Wessel Andersson, MA, PhD, Solveig Osborg Ose, MA, PhD, Ketil Hanssen-Bauer, MD

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 8/2008

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Abstract

Background

Child and adolescent mental health service units (CAMHS) play an important role in the supply of services to children and adolescents with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to examine the service unit effect on parent satisfaction with outpatient treatment.

Method

The study was undertaken in 49 of 72 Norwegian outpatient CAMHS in 2004. A total of 2253 of the parents who were asked to participate (87%) responded. Parent satisfaction was measured using two summated scales: clinician interaction/information and treatment outcome. Multilevel analyses were used to assess the contribution of the service units to satisfaction and to investigate patient level predictors of parent satisfaction.

Results

About 96−98% of the parent satisfaction variance could be attributed to factors within CAMHS, leaving only 2–4% of the variance attributable to the CAMHS level. Parents of patients aged 0–6 years were more satisfied than older patients’ parents. Longer treatment episodes were positively associated with satisfaction. Parents whose children had been referred with externalizing symptoms were less satisfied with treatment outcome than those referred for internalizing symptoms. Waiting time was negatively associated with treatment outcome satisfaction. Adjustments for patient characteristics did not substantially change the relative effect of CAMHS on satisfaction ratings.

Conclusion

The results indicate that information from user satisfaction surveys has clear limitations as an indicator of CAMHS quality. From a quality improvement perspective, the factors affecting the variance within CAMHS are of dominating importance compared to factors affecting between CAMHS variance.
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Metadata
Title
User satisfaction with child and adolescent mental health services
Impact of the service unit level
Authors
Johan Håkon Bjørngaard, MA
Helle Wessel Andersson, MA, PhD
Solveig Osborg Ose, MA, PhD
Ketil Hanssen-Bauer, MD
Publication date
01-08-2008
Publisher
D. Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 8/2008
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0347-8

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