Blessings Chikasema1,2, Xanthe Hunt3, Katherine Sorsdahl4, Mark Tomlinson3,5. 1. Department of Psychology, Centre for Public Mental Health, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa. 2. Clinical Medicine (Mental Health Department), Saint John of God College of Health Sciences, Mzuzu, Malawi. 3. Department of Global Health, Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa. 4. Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 5. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University, Belfast, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: User satisfaction with outpatient mental health services is an important factor in ensuring continued engagement with mental health services for people with mental health conditions. Yet, in many low and middle-income countries, including Malawi, there is a dearth of information about user's experiences of outpatient mental health care services, and little is known about which factors might affect user satisfaction. AIM: The aim of the present work was to evaluate user satisfaction with outpatient mental health services in southern Malawi and to explore whether social demographic variables, mental health status, and treatment characteristics explain variance in user satisfaction. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Malawi at one urban (Blantyre) and one rural (Thyolo) outpatient psychiatric clinics. Two-hundred and sixteen randomly sampled service users were enrolled into the study and completed the Charlestone Psychiatric Outpatient Satisfaction Scale (CPOSS). The unadjusted and adjusted associations between user satisfaction as the dependent variable, and participant socio-demographic characteristics as independent variables, were examined. RESULTS: Eighty percent of all participants were satisfied with the outpatient mental health services, although participants presenting to the rural clinic were less likely to be satisfied than participants presenting at the urban clinic, according to the adjusted odds ratio (AOR; AOR = 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13-0.76; p < 0.05). Any admission due to a mental health condition significantly explained variance in user satisfaction at the rural (Thyolo) study site; as those who had been admitted previously were less satisfied than those who had never been admitted (AOR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.02-0.54; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: As may be expected, these findings demonstrate that service user satisfaction is linked to service quality and past service experiences. Further research is required in order to nuance these findings in the context of Malawi's efforts to strengthen service quality. Nonetheless, rural facilities may require additional support to deliver satisfactory care.
BACKGROUND: User satisfaction with outpatient mental health services is an important factor in ensuring continued engagement with mental health services for people with mental health conditions. Yet, in many low and middle-income countries, including Malawi, there is a dearth of information about user's experiences of outpatient mental health care services, and little is known about which factors might affect user satisfaction. AIM: The aim of the present work was to evaluate user satisfaction with outpatient mental health services in southern Malawi and to explore whether social demographic variables, mental health status, and treatment characteristics explain variance in user satisfaction. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Malawi at one urban (Blantyre) and one rural (Thyolo) outpatient psychiatric clinics. Two-hundred and sixteen randomly sampled service users were enrolled into the study and completed the Charlestone Psychiatric Outpatient Satisfaction Scale (CPOSS). The unadjusted and adjusted associations between user satisfaction as the dependent variable, and participant socio-demographic characteristics as independent variables, were examined. RESULTS: Eighty percent of all participants were satisfied with the outpatient mental health services, although participants presenting to the rural clinic were less likely to be satisfied than participants presenting at the urban clinic, according to the adjusted odds ratio (AOR; AOR = 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13-0.76; p < 0.05). Any admission due to a mental health condition significantly explained variance in user satisfaction at the rural (Thyolo) study site; as those who had been admitted previously were less satisfied than those who had never been admitted (AOR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.02-0.54; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: As may be expected, these findings demonstrate that service user satisfaction is linked to service quality and past service experiences. Further research is required in order to nuance these findings in the context of Malawi's efforts to strengthen service quality. Nonetheless, rural facilities may require additional support to deliver satisfactory care.
Entities:
Keywords:
Charlestone Psychiatric Outpatient Satisfaction Scale; Satisfaction; low and middle-income countries; mental health condition; mental health service; users