Objectives: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the predicting factors of patients' satisfaction with mental health services. The secondary objective was to evaluate patients' levels of perceived changes and satisfaction. METHOD: A cross-sectional correlational study was carried out with 110 patients attending three public mental health services. Patients were interviewed for the application of the Perceived Changes Scale (EMP) and the Patient's Satisfaction with Mental Health Services Scale (SATIS-BR). RESULTS: The main result was that patients' perceived change was the most important predictor of satisfaction with services and, in the second place, the greater age. It was found high levels of patients' satisfaction with mental health services and distinct levels of perceived change. CONCLUSION: This study points to the importance of patients' own perception about treatment outcome as predictor of satisfaction with mental health services. Satisfaction and perceived changes proved to be important in mental health evaluating. Longitudinal, random sampling and greater size sample studies may provide additional data for these results reevaluation.
Patient satisfaction; mental health services; outcome assessment (health care)
