User satisfaction with child and adolescent mental health services: the association between user satisfaction and clinical outcomes

Abstract

<p><i>Background - </i>This study aimed to examine the association between user satisfaction and clinical outcomes with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) from the perspective of young people and their parents. The evidence bases for CAMHS user satisfaction measures are limited, with few studies investigating the link between user satisfaction and clinical outcomes. In particular, the perspectives of young people are missing. <p><i>Methods - </i>The parent and youth versions of the Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ), which evaluates the factors of general satisfaction (GS), satisfaction with care (SWC) and satisfaction with environment (SWE), were used to measure user satisfaction. The outcome measures were scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), and Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA). Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted on data collected from 233 young people and 495 parents who utilized CAMHS services. <p><i>Results - </i>GS and SWC predicted outcomes for both young people (ΔR² = 0.08, p <.05) and parents (ΔR² = 0.01, p <.05), indicating that user satisfaction had a significant impact on clinical outcomes for CAMHS users. In addition, GS and SWC significantly predicted young people-reported outcomes in the interaction model (ΔR² = 0.10, p <.05), while no significant association was found with parent-reported outcomes (ΔR² = 0.02, p =.09). <p><i>Conclusion - </i>User satisfaction, particularly for young people, has a significant impact on clinical outcomes. The causal relationship between user satisfaction and mental health outcomes requires further study.