Abstract
BackgroundNon-attendance of treatment groups in the community has been a long-standing problem in mental health care. It has been found to have financial ramifications for services, worsen outcomes for those that do not attend and negatively impact on therapeutic group processes. There is a need to gain a better understanding of patients’ reasons for attending or not attending. This study aimed to explore patient views on facilitators and barriers to the attendance of treatment groups in the community.MethodsThe study used interview data collected as part of three studies that investigated treatment groups for psychiatric patients in the community. Sixty-seven interview transcripts were analysed using the framework method.ResultsFive themes relating to facilitators of group attendance were identified: opportunity for autonomy; self-acknowledging need and therapist encouragement; optimal group format and safe environment; interest in content and enjoyment; actual and expected benefits of attendance. Four themes related to barriers: not being sufficiently informed; concerns about social interactions and the unknown; limited accessibility; and negative group dynamics.ConclusionTo facilitate attendance and reduce attrition to treatment groups in the community clinicians should address patient’s wishes for information, capture their interest in the group modality, and potentially offer a ‘trial’ session. Furthermore, they should make the group location and time as accessible as possible and create a moderately sized group of six to eight patients. In these groups, mutual respect, feelings of safety and encouragement appear essential to make patients feel they can benefit from attendance.
Highlights
Non-attendance of treatment groups in the community has been a long-standing problem in mental health care
We explored the experiences of patients with serious mental illness who had attended, or had been invited to attend, different treatment groups in the community
This study purposively selected qualitative interview data collected as part of three different studies that had investigated group treatment; A trial on Body Psychotherapy (BPT)[19,20], an observational study on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)[21] and a feasibility trial on Music Therapy (MT) [22]
Summary
Non-attendance of treatment groups in the community has been a long-standing problem in mental health care. It has been found to have financial ramifications for services, worsen outcomes for those that do not attend and negatively impact on therapeutic group processes. There is a need to gain a better understanding of patients’ reasons for attending or not attending. This study aimed to explore patient views on facilitators and barriers to the attendance of treatment groups in the community. The authors are qualified in psychology, psychiatry and music therapy and all work within academia. They all have experience of developing and/or delivering group treatments for patients with mental disorders
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