Quality of life and satisfaction with inpatient treatment in adolescents with psychiatric disorders : A comparison between patients', parents', and caregivers' (self-)assessments at admission and discharge.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare results of patients', parents', and caregivers' (nursing staff and educators) (self-)assessments of quality of life, treatment outcomes, and satisfaction with inpatient treatment in a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital. In addition, the investigation included a comparison between admission and discharge of the three investigated groups.

Methods: The study considered adolescents at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hinterbruehl, along with their parents and caregivers. Following questionnaires at admission and discharge were used: the Youth Self-Report (YSR) or Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/4-18), Inventory for Assessing Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents (ILK), and Questionnaires of the Evaluation of Treatment (FBB).

Results: Adolescents (58 patients, aged 14-18 years, standard deviation = 1.06) with different psychiatric diagnoses consecutively admitted for a diagnostic or therapeutic stay were included. The quality of life score was significantly different between patients' and parents' rating at discharge. The results of the treatment satisfaction revealed no significant correlations between patients', parents', and caregivers' ratings. A reduction in the psychopathology between admission and discharge was measured in all groups of raters. In addition, an increase in quality of life between admission and discharge was observed in patients, parents, and caregivers. Treatment satisfaction was moderate in all groups of raters.

Conclusion: The views of patients' treatment measured by patients themselves, parents, and caregivers during a psychiatric ward stay are different and more or less unrelated. This indicates that each group applies different criteria when assessing treatment satisfaction.