Like cheese and chalk or cross-fertilization? A qualitative exploration of how addiction patients perceive treatment in a general psychiatry ward

Abstract

Background Addiction has historically been conceptualized and treated differently to other conditions. Studies suggest that healthcare staff perceive patients with substance use disorders (SUD) as a specific subgroup with distinct and challenging needs yet SUD patients frequently receive treatment in general psychiatry settings. Notwithstanding, knowledge of how SUD patients view themselves compared to other psychiatric patients and how they experience treatment in general psychiatry settings is lacking. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 SUD patients voluntarily hospitalized in the acute psychiatric unit of a general hospital to explore the lived experiences of SUD patients receiving detoxification in an acute psychiatry ward. Data were analyzed using Thematic Content Analysis. Results Two primary themes and five subthemes emerged: (A) Patient perceptions of the problem and its consequences’, which includes the subcategories (i) Patient views of addiction, (ii) Staff perception of the patients; and (B) Lived experiences within the specific setting with subthemes (i) Interaction with the specific setting, (ii) Interaction with fellow patients, and (iii) Perception of staff by patients. Conclusions Overall, SUD patients had mixed perceptions; while many appreciated aspects of their hospitalization, others faced challenges in having all their needs met. Implementing policy-level interventions, like integrating SUD patient needs into psychiatry ward design and ensuring adequate resource allocation and staff training, could improve care quality for addiction patients in general psychiatry settings.