Factors Associated with Satisfaction with a Community Mental Health Service

Abstract

This study’s objective was to simultaneousy assess the factors associated with the satisfaction of 84 patients and 84 family members with treatment and the satisfaction of 67 professionals with the work performed in a mental health service. This is a quantitative cross-sectional study with a correlational design and multivariate data analysis. The participants responded to satisfaction scales and sociodemographic questionnaires. The results indicate that the following variables predicted the level of satisfaction: age at onset of psychiatric disorder; being supported by the professionals; receiving information about treatment; level of education; and years of work in mental health services. The results reveal that establishing a partnership with the families of patients is important to ensuringtheir satisfaction and treatment adherence, while the way the public health system manages the professionals’ careers has contributed to their dissatisfaction, requiring urgent reformulation.