PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC-CARE - THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONALITY-TRAITS, DIAGNOSIS AND PERCEIVED COERCION

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of personality t raits, diagnosis and perceived coercion on patient satisfaction with i npatient psychiatric care. The study was performed as a cross-sectiona l study on 7 inpatient wards in southern Sweden. A cohort of 50 psychi atric inpatients evaluated satisfaction with care and also made rating s on a personality questionnaire. Patients with a higher level of the trait aggressive nonconformity were significantly less satisfied with the ward's physical and psychosocial environment, the treatment design and the treatment program. The phenomenon of acquiescence was not rel ated to the reported level of satisfaction. Analyses of patient satisf action according to diagnostic groups showed that patients with affect ive disorders had significantly better satisfaction than patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Patients who perceived that they were i nvoluntarily admitted were measured as being significantly less satisf ied with the care in all areas. It is concluded that, to attain a high er specificity in analyses of variation in patient satisfaction, focus may be put on situational and setting factors of the care delivered a long with specific patient characteristics. Risk groups, which require great attention in the development of quality assessment and quality assurance policies, are patients with schizophrenia and patients who p erceive coercion in connection with inpatient psychiatric treatment.