[Subjective evaluation criteria in psychiatric care--methods of assessment for research and general practice]

Evaluation of psychiatric care is an important task in research and in routine conditions. It requires definition of criteria. Subjective criteria are, for different reasons, of increasing interest. Subjective quality of life, subjective needs for help and support and patients' assessment of psychiatric treatment are regarded as particularly relevant criteria. We present and briefly discuss instruments for assessment of these criteria, that are new at least in the German language. Results of a first cross-sectional study in a community care setting are reported. Regarding quality of life healthy groups were examined too. The findings suggest that the instruments are usefully applicable and that they may produce plausible results.