Prior studies have concluded that patients' pretreatment characteristics contribute more to their satisfaction with mental health treatment than any other domain. We expand the representation of treatment characteristics in an examination of satisfaction across both inpatient and outpatient settings. Data were drawn from an inpatient (n = 831) and an outpatient (n = 554) study of the treatment of PTSD. We used structural equation modeling to specify and evaluate a model of satisfaction with comparable elements for inpatient and both short and long-term outpatient treatment. Results indicate that the quality and quantity of patients' participation in treatment were more important to the development of their satisfaction with treatment than their pretreatment characteristics. Among treatment characteristics, the social climate of the inpatient milieu and the focus on war traumas in outpatient therapy had major effects on the quality and quantity of patients' participation and their satisfaction.
Adult Humans