Abstract
Consumer satisfaction with treatment is important information for providers of mental health services. The goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between youth and parent satisfaction ratings and the following youth variables: gender, age, primary diagnosis, and changes in functioning and symptomatology after 6 months of services. Results demonstrated that in a large sample of youth receiving community mental health services satisfaction with services differed as a function of the adolescents’ clinician-derived primary diagnosis, age, and reported changes in symptoms and functioning. Although significant, these variables accounted for only a small portion of the variance in satisfaction. Additionally, the relationship between parent and youth ratings of satisfaction was low, but significant. The implications of these findings are discussed as well as future directions for clinicians and researchers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the child behavior checklist/4–18 and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Adams, G. (2000). Adolescent development: The essential readings. UK: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Text revision (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Asay, T. P., Lambert, M. J., Gregersen, A. T., & Goates, M. K. (2002). Using patient-focused research in evaluating treatment outcome in private practice. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 1213–1225.
Attkisson, C. C., & Zwick, R. (1982). The client satisfaction questionnaire: Psychometric properties and correlations with service utilizations and psychotherapy outcome. Evaluation and Program Planning, 5, 233–237.
Barber, A. J., Tischler, V. A., & Healy, E. (2006). Consumer satisfaction and child behaviour problems in child and adolescent mental health services. Journal of Child Health Care, 10, 9–21.
Battle, C. G., Imber, S. D., Hoehn-Saric, R., Stone, A. R., Nash, E. R., & Frank, J. D. (1966). Target complaints as criteria of improvement. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 20, 184–192.
Bradley, E. J., & Clark, S. (1993). Patients’ characteristics and consumer satisfaction on an inpatient child psychiatric unit. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 175–180.
Copeland, V., Koeske, G., & Greeno, C. G. (2004). Child and mother client satisfaction questionnaire scores regarding mental health services: Race, age and gender correlates. Research on Social Work Practice, 14, 434–442.
Edlund, M. J., Young, A. S., Kung, F. Y., Sherbourne, C. D., & Wells, K. (2003). Does satisfaction reflect the technical quality of mental health care? Health Services Research, 38, 631–645.
Garland, A. F., Aarons, G. A., Hawley, K. M., & Hough, R. L. (2003). Relationship of youth satisfaction with mental health services and changes in symptoms and functioning. Psychiatric Services, 54, 1544–1546.
Garland, A. F., Aarons, G. A., Saltzman, M. D., & Kruse, M. I. (2000). Correlates of adloescent’s satisfaction with mental health services. Mental Health Services Research, 2, 127–139.
Garland, A. F., Haine, R. A., & Boxmeyer, C. L. (2007). Determinates of youth and parent satisfaction in usual care psychotherapy. Evaluation and Program Planning, 30, 45–54.
Godley, S. H., Fielder, E. M., & Funk, R. R. (1998). Consumer satisfaction of parents and their children with child/adolescent mental health services. Evaluation and Program Planning, 21, 31–45.
Hasler, G., Moergeli, H., Bachmann, R., Lambreva, E., Buddeberg, C., & Schnyder, U. (2004). Patient satisfaction with outpatient psychiatric treatment: The role of diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, and perceived therapeutic change. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49, 315–321.
Heflinger, C. A., Simpkins, C. G., Scholle, S. H., & Kelleher, K. J. (2004). Parent/caregiver satisfaction with their child’s medicaid plan and behavioral health providers. Mental Health Services Research, 6, 23–32.
Kelstrup, A., Lund, K., Lauritsen, B., & Bech, P. (1993). Satisfaction with care reported by psychiatric inpatients: Relationship to diagnosis and medical treatment. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 87, 374–379.
Kessler, R. C., & Mroczek, K. (1995). Measuring the effects of medical interventions. Medical Care, 33, 109–119.
Lambert, W., Salzer, M. S., & Bickman, L. (1998). Clinical outcome, consumer satisfaction, and ad hoc ratings of improvement in children’s mental health. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 270–279.
Lebow, J. (1982). Consumer satisfaction with mental health treatment. Psychological Bulletin, 91, 244–259.
Ogles, B. M., Dowell, K., Hatfield, D., Melendez, G., & Carlston, D. L. (2004). The Ohio Scales. The use of psychological testing for treatment planning and outcomes assessment, vol 2. Instruments for children and adolescents (3rd ed., pp. 275–304). Mahwah, NJ: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Ogles, B. M., Lambert, M. J., & Fields, S. A. (2002). The essentials of outcome assesment. Hoboken: Wiley.
Ogles, B. M., Melendez, G., Davis, D. C., & Lunnen, K. M. (2000). The Ohio youth problem, functioning, and satisfaction scales: Technical manual. Athens, OH: Ohio University.
Ogles, B. M., Melendez, G., Davis, D. C., & Lunnen, K. M. (2001). The Ohio scales: Practical outcome assessment. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 10, 199–212.
Ohio Department of Mental Health. (2006). Ohio mental health consumer outcomes system report, 11. Retrieved December 11, 2007, from http://www.mh.state.oh.us/oper/outcomes/reports.quarterly.html#rpt11.
Pekarik, G., & Guidry, L. L. (1999). Relationship of satisfaction to symptom change, follow-up adjustment, and clinical significance in private practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 30, 474–478.
Perreault, M., Rogers, W. L., Leichner, P., & Sabourin, S. (1996). Patients’ requests and satisfaction with services in an outpatient psychiatric setting. Psychiatric Services, 47, 287–292.
Salzer, M. (1999). The outcomes measurement movement and mental health services research: A review of three books. Mental Health Services Research, 1, 59–63.
Shapiro, J. P., Welker, C. J., & Jacobson, B. J. (1997). The youth satisfaction questionnarie: Development, construct validation, and factor structure. Journal of Child Clinical Psychology, 26, 87–98.
Stuntzer-Gibson, D., Koren, P. E., & DeChillo, N. (1995). What kids think of services: The youth satisfaction questionnaire. Families in Society, 76, 616–624.
Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. (2004). Validation and norms for the Ohio Scales among children served by the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhprograms/FinalRprtvalidnormsOhioScales.pdf.
Turchik, J. A., Karpenko, V., & Ogles, B. M. (2007). Further evidence of the utility and validity of a measure of outcome for children and adolescents. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 15, 119–128.
Wierzbicki, M., & Pekarik, G. (1993). A meta-analysis of psychotherapy drop-out. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 24, 190–195.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health, Grant No. 07.1232.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Turchik, J.A., Karpenko, V., Ogles, B.M. et al. Parent and Adolescent Satisfaction with Mental Health Services: Does it Relate to Youth Diagnosis, Age, Gender, or Treatment Outcome?. Community Ment Health J 46, 282–288 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-010-9293-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-010-9293-5