Parental satisfaction with intervention: differences between respondents and non-respondents to a postal questionnaire.

Parental satisfaction with a child and adolescent psychology service was assessed by postal questionnaire. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 88 percent of the sample, 36 postal questionnaire respondents and 21 non-respondents. Questionnaire non-respondents were more likely to have dropped out of therapy, had fewer appointments, evaluated the service more negatively and differed from respondents in their particular sources of dissatisfaction. They were significantly more dissatisfied with where they met the psychologist and in what family composition they were seen whereas questionnaire respondents were more dissatisfied with the wait before first appointment and the total number of appointments offered. The implications for future studies are discussed and the need to assess the satisfaction of postal non-respondent emphasized.