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Patient-therapist mismatch: we would rather switch than fight
Hospital & Community Psychiatry
|September 1, 1986
Summary
Most patients requesting a new therapist do so due to a mismatch. Changing therapists often leads to continued treatment and patient satisfaction, suggesting flexible policies enhance psychiatric care effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Services Research
Background:
- Patient-therapist relationship is crucial for treatment success.
- Understanding reasons for therapist change is important for service improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind patient-initiated therapist changes.
- To assess patient satisfaction and treatment continuation after a therapist switch.
- To evaluate the impact of flexible therapist transfer policies on treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Study conducted on 21 psychiatric outpatients requesting a therapist change.
- Comparison of study sample demographics and diagnoses with general outpatient population.
- Analysis of reasons for therapist change requests.
- Assessment of patient satisfaction and treatment retention post-transfer.
Main Results:
- No significant demographic or diagnostic differences found between the study sample and general outpatients.
- The primary reason for therapist change requests was patient-therapist mismatch.
- Most patients continued treatment with a new therapist and reported satisfaction with the change.
Conclusions:
- Patient-therapist mismatch is a key factor in therapist change requests.
- Flexible policies for therapist transfers can improve patient satisfaction and treatment retention.
- Effective management of therapist transfers is essential for enhancing psychiatric treatment effectiveness.