Parents’ satisfaction with child psychiatry

Aims: Effective social and healthcare services are important for recipient point of view. Reforms in field of social and health care affect straight to the lives of children, adolescents and families. Voice of the parents’ of the child psychiatric patient must be heard during reforms. The purpose of this study was to explore the parents’ satisfaction with the child psychiatric clinic in southern Finland in the autumn 2017.

Methods: The questionnaire for parents’ included 12 questions related to a single visit experience in clinic. In total, 168 responses were collected at the end of the visits. Likert scale responses were analysed statistically with nonparametric methods for the relationship between variables such as the respondent relationship to the child and the type of visit. The open‐ended questions were analysed by qualitative content analysis.

Results: The relationship with the child was multifaceted: 54% were mothers and 18% fathers, 13% other adults and 3% child welfare workers. The respondents’ age distribution was 18–62 years, and the average age was 39 years. The respondents were satisfied with their visit at the clinic. The respondents’ relationship with the child was determined how successful the visit was in the point of view of respondent in some cases. There was no difference in the experience for the first‐time visitors and returning visitors or the parents′ who had visited the clinic at the same time.

Conclusions: Even there was significant difference experiencing the visit in some cases, the respondents were satisfied and visits deemed to have benefit. The speed and availability of care and the skills and competence of the staff were appreciated. Atmosphere in the clinic was warm and positive. Development point of view, lack of information about the duration of the visit was raised to parents at the beginning of the visit.