PATIENT SATISFACTION - ETHNIC-ORIGIN OR EXPLANATORY MODEL

Despite concern over their psychiatric treatment, little is known abou t black and ethnic minority patient satisfaction with psychiatric serv ices and whether perceived 'ethnicity' or discrepant understanding of illness experience is most relevant. Twenty-one white British and 63 e thnic minority patients were interviewed for their opinions on psychia tric in-patient care, their treatment preferences and their explanator y models of their illness. The most significant association with satis faction was not ethnic origin but the patient's explanatory model of t heir illness which showed little association with ethnicity whether pa tients were voluntary or involuntary. Satisfaction is most likely when there is concordance between the patient's and psychiatrist's explana tory model.