Satisfaction with care has become a central dimension of quality assurance in mental health care. Assessments of patient satisfaction, however, are hampered by a lack of well-validated and reliable satisfaction tools.

This study examines the applicability and results of a validated satisfaction questionnaire (WPI-Vienna Patient Satisfaction Inventory) developed for routine outcome measurement among chronically mentally ill outpatients.

Users of eight outpatient clinics who attended these clinics within a period of three consecutive months rated (a) satisfaction with received treatment and (b) perceived importance of specific treatment aspects. Sociodemographic and clinical information such as gender, age, and diagnosis was also collected.

A total of 848 users completed the treatment satisfaction questionnaire, resulting in a return rate of 20%. Over 70% of respondents indicated that they were very satisfied with their treatment. Women and older service users were more satisfied than men and younger service users. Regarding diagnosis, patients suffering from mood disorders were more satisfied than patients suffering from schizophrenia. Treatment satisfaction with aspects of care rated as especially important by the users was generally high. Only in the domains “Explanations about Illness, Treatment and (Side-)Effects of Medication” and “Waiting Time”, higher rates of dissatisfaction were observed.

The WPI is a relevant tool to assess treatment satisfaction among chronically mentally ill users of outpatient mental health care. Especially when applied routinely, treatment satisfaction measures are important and helpful quality assurance tools which can help identify strengths and weaknesses of mental health care.