Is Patient's Satisfaction with Inpatient Depression Treatment Related to Their German Language Proficiency?

Objective To analyze patient satisfaction in inpatient depression treatment depending on German language proficiency. Methods Documentation of patients in 24 psychiatric hospitals in Baden-Wurttemberg (South Germany). The following three groups were matched according to age, gender, and education: native German speakers, non-native speakers with good German proficiency, and non-native speakers with limited German proficiency (67 in each group). Results The number of unsatisfied patients was four times higher in the group of non-native speakers with limited German proficiency (24%) than in the native German speakers group (6,5%) and more then twice as high as in the group of non-native speakers with good German proficiency (10.2%). Patient satisfaction was lower in the group of non-native speakers with limited German proficiency independing of treatment outcome than in both other groups, whereas in both groups with good German proficiency, satisfaction was associated with treatment outcome. Conclusions Good linguistic understanding is more important for patient satisfaction in inpatient depression treatment than treatment outcome.