Description
Although relatively subjective in nature, treatment satisfaction as well as health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are important to evaluate in mental health settings. These measures are vital to asses seeing that they are key determinants of outcomes for patients receiving mental health treatment. The literature shows that a number of factors influence treatment satisfaction, including patient centeredness, participation in treatment planning, convenience and access, information sharing, and treatment result. In addition there are various dimensions that have shown to impact HRQOL, including overall life satisfaction, living situation, daily activities and functioning, family, legal and safety situation, and social relations. From the literature, the relationship between the satisfaction and HRQOL have not been well documented, which offers limited insight into this relationship.The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of treatment satisfaction with HRQOL among utilizers of San Diego County mental health programs and services through a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the 2015 Mental Health Statistics Improvement Project (MHSIP) consumer survey. This study also sets out to explore the factors that influence each treatment satisfaction and HRQOL. Logistic regression found that respondents who rated a higher level of treatment satisfaction were 1.6 times as likely to rate a higher HRQOL (OR = 1.594, p < .05), even after controlling for confounders such as age, gender, and race. The dimensions of treatment satisfaction tested were all found to have a positive association with overall satisfaction. All but two dimensions of HRQOL were found to have a positive relationship with HRQOL, including living situation and family relations. Further research may be necessary considering the possible relationship that satisfaction has with HRQOL for those utilizers of mental health programs. Finally, programs should aim to increase levels of satisfaction by targeting specific related dimensions as well as targeted improvements in HRQOL.
