Brazilian Mental Health Services Assessment: user satisfaction and associated factors

Patient satisfaction is an important criterion for assessing the quality of Brazilian mental health services at Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS - from the Portuguese 'Centro de Atenção Psicossocial'). The aim of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction of users at the main CAPS in a region of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, as well as associated factors. This was a cross-sectional study with 11 CAPS. Patients were interviewed using the Patient Satisfaction with Mental Health Services Scale (SATIS-BR) and a semi-structured questionnaire containing sociodemographic and clinical variables. The users were satisfied with the CAPS, particularly in terms of staff competence and the welcome received and care provided. The physical facilities and comfort at the centers obtained the lowest satisfaction scores on the scale. Almost half of the users were unfamiliar with basic aspects of their drug therapy, such as the name of medicines, and one-third reported inappropriate use of medications. Users of midsize CAPS and those providing treatment for alcohol and drug addiction were more satisfied than patients at mental health or 24-hour CAPS. Although this study identified a need for improvement in physical facilities, mechanisms of participation and patient empowerment, the users were satisfied with the CAPS care model.