Patterns and correlates of patient‐reported helpfulness of treatment for common mental and substance use disorders in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys
Authors: Kessler Ronald C. , Kazdin Alan E. , Aguilar‐Gaxiola Sergio , Al‐Hamzawi Ali , Alonso Jordi , Altwaijri Yasmin A. , Andrade Laura H. , Benjet Corina , Bharat Chrianna , Borges Guilherme , Bruffaerts Ronny , Bunting Brendan , de Almeida José Miguel Caldas , Cardoso Graça , Chiu Wai Tat , Cía Alfredo , Ciutan Marius , Degenhardt Louisa , de Girolamo Giovanni , de Jonge Peter , de Vries Ymkje Anna , Florescu Silvia , Gureje Oye , Haro Josep Maria , Harris Meredith G. , Hu Chiyi , Karam Aimee N. , Karam Elie G. , Karam Georges , Kawakami Norito , Kiejna Andrzej , Kovess‐Masfety Viviane , Lee Sing , Makanjuola Victor , McGrath John J. , Medina‐Mora Maria Elena , Moskalewicz Jacek , Navarro‐Mateu Fernando , Nierenberg Andrew A. , Nishi Daisuke , Ojagbemi Akin , Oladeji Bibilola D. , O'Neill Siobhan , Posada‐Villa José , Puac‐Polanco Victor , Rapsey Charlene , Ruscio Ayelet Meron , Sampson Nancy A. , Scott Kate M. , Slade Tim , Stagnaro Juan Carlos , Stein Dan J. , Tachimori Hisateru , ten Have Margreet , Torres Yolanda , Viana Maria Carmen , Vigo Daniel V. , Williams David R. , Wojtyniak Bogdan , Xavier Miguel , Zarkov Zahari , Ziobrowski Hannah N. ,   WHO World Mental Health Survey collaborators
Published: May 2022

Patient‐reported helpfulness of treatment is an important indicator of quality in patient‐centered care. We examined its pathways and predictors among respondents to household surveys who reported ever receiving treatment for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, post‐traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, or alcohol use disorder. Data came from 30 community epidemiological surveys – 17 in high‐income countries (HICs) and 13 in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) – carried out as part of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. Respondents were asked whether treatment of each disorder was ever helpful and, if so, the number of professionals seen before receiving helpful treatment. Across all surveys and diagnostic categories, 26.1% of patients (N=10,035) reported being helped by the very first professional they saw. Persisting to a second professional after a first unhelpful treatment brought the cumulative probability of receiving helpful treatment to 51.2%. If patients persisted with up through eight professionals, the cumulative probability rose to 90.6%. However, only an estimated 22.8% of patients would have persisted in seeing these many professionals after repeatedly receiving treatments they considered not helpful. Although the proportion of individuals with disorders who sought treatment was higher and they were more persistent in HICs than LMICs, proportional helpfulness among treated cases was no different between HICs and LMICs. A wide range of predictors of perceived treatment helpfulness were found, some of them consistent across diagnostic categories and others unique to specific disorders. These results provide novel information about patient evaluations of treatment across diagnoses and countries varying in income level, and suggest that a critical issue in improving the quality of care for mental disorders should be fostering persistence in professional help‐seeking if earlier treatments are not helpful.