Consumer Satisfaction with CMHC Services

Describes the relationship between consumer satisfaction with community mental health clinic (CMHC) services and patterns of outpatient service use that was assessed by a survey of 210 mostly African-American schizophrenics in Mississippi. Subjects who did not identify the CMHC as their primary source of outpatient mental health care were less satisfied. They were more likely to be white, single and to seek care from other sources. Among the others, satisfaction was not associated with type, variety, or frequency of services. The clinics offered similar services, so the differences in consumer satisfaction suggest that the qualities of the clinic itself may influence consumer satisfaction.