S07.01 - Therapeutic alliance in emergency psychiatry: A newly validated questionnaire

Abstract

The development of a therapeutic alliance with the patient is a challenge for emergency psychiatry. The therapeutic alliance could reduce the number of non-voluntary admissions and of compulsory administration of medication. Moreover, a better dialogue with the patients could increase the patients’ compliance with ambulatory care, and could prevent inutile hospitalizations. To evaluate the level of satisfaction with the emergency psychiatric treatment we created and validated a 10-item questionnaire. The questionnaire focuses on the “human quality” and the empathy of the psychiatrist, but also on his professional skills, the delay in the waiting room before medical evaluation, the level of satisfaction concerning the proposed care and a comparison between psychiatrists, nurses and the security staff. The same questionnaire is proposed to the patients and to the psychiatrists. The validation is still running and focuses on around 5000 patients admitted in emergency during one year (June 2007-June 2008). Preliminary results are discussed, taking into account diagnosis and differences between patients and psychiatrists about their therapeutic alliance.