Patient satisfaction with treatment in first-episode psychosis

Abstract

Purpose: To examine first-episode psychotic patients’ satisfaction with elements of a comprehensive 2-year treatment program. Subjects and method: The TIPS (Early Treatment and Intervention in Psychosis) project provided a 2-year treatment program consisting of milieu therapy (inpatient), individual psychotherapy, family intervention and medication. Of 140 patients at baseline, 112 were included at 2-year follow-up. Eighty-four participants were interviewed using a questionnaire eliciting levels of satisfaction with different treatment elements at two of the four sites. Results: Participants and non-participants did not differ on demographic or clinical data at baseline. Of those participating, 75% were satisfied with treatment in general. Individual and milieu therapy received higher rating than medication or family intervention. No predictors of general satisfaction with treatment were found, but continuously psychotic patients were the least satisfied with medication treatment. Discussion: As in most patient satisfaction studies within mental health treatment networks, there was high level of general satisfaction with the total package of treatment but considerable variation in satisfaction for specific interventions. In this sample of first-episode psychosis patients, there was general satisfaction with treatments based on one-to-one relationships while multi-family group intervention was consistently valued less enthusiastically.

• First episode
• Outcome
• Patient satisfaction
• Psychosis
• Treatment

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Grant support

Supported by the Norwegian National Research Council (# 133897/320 and #154642/320), the Norwegian Department of Health and Social Affairs, the National Council for Mental Health/Health and Rehabilitation (#1997/41 and #2002/306), Rogaland County and Oslo County (Drs Vaglum, Johannessen, Friis, Larsen, Melle, Opjordsmoen). Also funded by the Theodore and Vada Stanley Foundation, the Regional Health Research Foundation for Eastern Region, Denmark; Roskilde County, Helsefonden, Lundbeck Pharma, Eli Lilly and Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceuticals, Denmark (Drs Simonsen and Haahr). Also supported by a National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Distinguished Investigator Award and NIMH grant MH-01654 (Dr. McGlashan) and a NARSAD Young Investigator Award (Dr. Larsen). Health South East (#2008001), Health West (#200202797-65 (Inge Joa) and #911313 (Regional Centre Clinical Psychosis Research).