Reasons for non-attendance at a day hospital for people with enduring mental illness: the clients' perspective

This paper describes a research project which aimed to discover the reasons clients give for failing to attend a mental health day hospital. There was concern that this service provision, for people with enduring mental illness, had a high level of non-attendance and therefore might not be meeting the needs of the people for whom it is targeted. Over a period of 6 months 36 people failed to attend, despite assessment and apparent agreement to attend. Of the 36, 14 agreed to talk about their reasons for not attending. An open interview format was used which enabled the clients to talk in depth about their experiences, which they felt led to the decision to stop attending. Content analysis of the interview data resulted in the identification of common themes. Main findings suggest a lack of partnership in decisions on choice of therapy, particularly the emphasis on groupwork, which 86% found unhelpful. Other main factors for non-attendance were a lack of an individual approach to care, not being listened to, and a lack of warmth from the staff. Recommendations for future practice are given, with particular attention to the need to develop a partnership with clients aimed at meeting individual needs.