Patient isolation in psychiatric healthcare.

OBJECTIVES

To discover the opinions of psychiatric patients about personnel attitudes and family participation in the treatment process.

METHODS

219 psychiatric patients took part in the study: 80 inpatients, 69 outpatients and 70 mental health clinic patients. The diagnostic survey method was applied using a patient questionnaire regarding: (1) the patient's opinion on his or her hospital stay as an inpatient, (2) the patient's opinion on his or her care as a hospital outpatient, mental health clinic patient, or community treatment patient, and (3) research on patient satisfaction with the administered medical service VSSS-54.

RESULTS

81.25% of patients confirmed receiving mental support during treatment at inpatient departments, compared to 88.41% of patients in outpatient hospital treatment and 84.29% of patients at mental health clinics. Hospital inpatients and mental health clinic patients indicated the doctor as the person providing the greatest amount of support; whereas hospital outpatients indicated a therapist. The majority of hospital inpatients (76.25%) indicated that nurses spent sufficient time with them. The rate of positive responses regarding doctors was 61.25% (p =0.000). 66.67% of hospital outpatients indicated that personnel spent sufficient time with them, whereas among mental health clinic patients this figure was 57.14%. Hospital outpatients and mental health clinic patients were asked abouttheir satisfaction with inclusion of family in the treatment process. The respondents gave this aspect of care a mean rating of 3.807 points (out of 5 available).

CONCLUSIONS

In order to increase mental health patient satisfaction, some organisational solutions which would result in both an increase in time spent by the personnel in contact with the patient as well as greater inclusion of family in the treatment process should be implemented.