ASSESSING THE TAKE UP AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A SELF-HELP ROOM USED BY PATIENTS AWAITING THEIR INITIAL OUTPATIENT APPOINTMENT

Abstract

This open study measured the proportion of routine referrals from primary care to a psychiatric sector team with symptoms of anxiety and/or low mood who chose to take up the option of attending a self-help room to use the CBT self-help manual Mind over mood during a 6-week waiting list period. It assessed changes in psychological health, dysfunctional attitudes and degree of hopelessness during the period of use of the self-help manual, as well as patient satisfaction with it. Twenty-two of 42 consecutive referrals attended the room (mean 3.55 sessions – SD 1.71). The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS), as well as measures of patient participation and satisfaction, were completed at the beginning and end of the 6-week period for those patients who attended the room. All three scale scores fell significantly over the study period, and the DAS and BHS scores at 6 weeks were negatively correlated with the number of sessions attended. The patients generally judged that the self-help intervention was acceptable and effective, and that their knowledge in a number of key areas had been improved. Conclusions regarding effectiveness are limited by the absence of control group data; nonetheless, this study does suggest that the provision of a self-help room containing Mind over mood is useful for patients with anxiety and low mood on a waiting list for a psychiatric outpatient assessment.