Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Trust, choice and power in mental health

A literature review

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Trust, choice and empowerment of patients are emerging as important issues in mental health care. This may be due to an increasingly consumerist attitude amongst patients and as a consequence of postmodern cultural changes in society. This study aimed to find evidence for the influence of trust, patient choice and patient empowerment in mental health care. A literature review was undertaken. Six searches of PubMed were made using the key terms trust, patient choice and power combined separately with psychiatry and mental health. The literature search found substantial research evidence in the areas of trust, choice and power including validated scales measuring these concepts and evidence that they are important to patients. Trust in general health clinicians was found to be high and continuity of care increases patients’ trust in their clinician. However, only qualitative research has been found on trust in mental health settings and further quantitative studies are needed. Patient choice is important to patients and improves engagement with services, although studies on outcome show varying results. Empowerment has impacted more at an organisational level than on individual care. Innovative research methodologies are needed to expand on the present significant body of research, utilising qualitative and quantitative techniques.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fenton WS, Blyler CR, Heinssen RK (1997) Determinants of medication compliance in schizophrenia: empirical and clinical findings. Schizophr Bull 23: 637–651

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lyotard J-F (1984) The postmodern condition: a report on knowledge. Manchester University Press, Manchester

    Google Scholar 

  3. Foucault M (2001) Madness and civilisation. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  4. Gray JM (1999) Postmodern medicine. Lancet 354: 1550–1553

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bracken PJ (2003) Postmodernism and psychiatry. Curr Opin Psychiatry 16: 673–677

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Laugharne R, Laugharne J (2002) Psychiatry, postmodernism and post-normal science. J Roy Soc Med 95: 207–210

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Department of Health (1999) Modernising mental health services. HMSO, London

    Google Scholar 

  8. O’Neill O (2002) A question of trust. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  9. Goudge J, Gilson L (2005) How can trust be investigated? Drawing lessons from past experience. Soc Sci Med 61: 1439–1451

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cooper DE (1985) Trust. J Med Ethics 11: 92–93

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hall MA, Dugan E, Zheng B, et al. (2001) Trust in physicians and medical institutions: what is it, can it be measured and does it matter? Millbank Q 79: 613–639

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hall MA, Zheng B, Dugan E (2002) Measuring patients’ trust in their primary care providers. Med Care Res Rev 59: 293–318

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hall MA, Camacho F, Dugan E, et al. (2002) Trust in the medical profession: conceptual and measurement issues. Health Serv Res 37: 1419–1439

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Anderson LA, Dedrick RF (1990) Development of the trust in physician scale: a measure to assess interpersonal trust in patient-physician relationship. Psychol Rep 67: 1091

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Safran DG, Taira DA, Rogers WA, et al. (1998) Linking primary care performance to outcomes of care. J Fam Pract 47: 213–220

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kao AC, Green DC, Davies NA, et al. (1998) Patients’ trust in their physicians. J Gen Intern Med 13: 681–686

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. La Veist TA, Nikerson K, Bowie JV (2000) Atttitudes about racism, medical mistrust and satisfaction with care among African American and white cardiac patients. Med Care Res Rev 57: 146–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Thom DH, Ribisl KM, Stewart AL, Luke DA (1999) Further validation and reliability testing of the trust in physician scale. Med Care 37: 510–517

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mechanic D (1996) Changing medical organisation and the erosion of trust. Milbank Q 74: 171–189

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Blendon RJ, Brodie M, Benson JM (1998) Understanding the managed care backlash. Health Aff 17: 80–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Mainous AG, Baker R, Love MM, Gray DP, Gill JM (2001) Continuity of care and trust in one’s physician: evidence from primary care in the United States and the United Kingdom. Fam Med 33: 22–27

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Balkrishnan R, Dugan E, Camacho FT, et al. (2003) Trust and satisfaction with physicians, insurers and the medical profession. Med Care 41: 1058–1064

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Kai J, Crosland A (2001) Perspectives of people with enduring mental ill health from a community-based qualitative study. Br J Gen Pract 51: 730–736

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Hannigan B, Bartlett H, Clilverd A (1997) Improving health and social functioning: perspectives of mental health service users. J Ment Health 6: 613–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Mechanic D, Meyer S (2000) Concepts of trust among patients with serious illness. Soc Sci Med 51: 657–668

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Thom DH, Bloch DA, Segal ES (1999) An intervention to increase patients’ trust in their physicians. Acad Med 74: 195–198

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Lauber C, Nordt C, Falcato L, et al. (2002) Public attitude to compulsory admission of mentally ill people. Acta Psychiatr Scand 105: 385–389

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Quill TE, Brody H (1996) Physician recommendations and patient autonomy: finding a balance between patient power and patient choice. Ann Intern Med 125: 763–769

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Calsyn RJ, Winter JP, Morse GA (2000) Do consumers who have a choice of treatment have better outcomes? Community Ment Health J 36: 149–160

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Salem DA (1990) Community based services and resources: the significance of choice and diversity. Am J Community Psychol 18: 909–915

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Coulter A (2003) The autonomous patient: ending paternalism in medical care. The Nuffield Trust, TSO, London

    Google Scholar 

  32. Hamann J, Leucht S, Kissling W (2003) Shared decision making in psychiatry. Acta Psychiatr Scand 107: 403–409

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Freiman MP, Zuvekas SH (2000) Determinants of ambulatory treatment mode for mental illness. Health Econ 9: 423–434

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Rokke PD, Tomhave JA, Jocic Z (1999) The role of client choice and target selection in self management therapy for depression in older adults. Psychol Aging 14: 155–169

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Ende J, Kazis L, Ash A, et al. (1989) Measuring patients’ desire for autonomy. J Gen Intern Med 4: 23–30

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Degner LF, Sloan JA (1992) Decision making during serious illness; what role do patients really want to play? J Clin Epidemiol 45: 941–950

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Bradley JG, Zia MJ, Hamilton N (1996) Patient preferences for control in medical decision making: a scenario-based approach. Fam Med 28: 496–501

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Entwistle VA, Skea ZC, O’Donnell MT (2001) Decisions about treatment: interpretations of two measures of control by women having a hysterectomy. Soc Sci Med 53: 721–732

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Hamman J, Cohen R, Leucht S, Busch R, Kissling W (2005) Do patients with schizophrenia wish to be involved in decisions about their medical treatment? Am J Psychiatry 162: 2382–2384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Hill SA, Laugharne R (2006) Decision making and information seeking preferences among psychiatric patients. J Ment Health 15: 75–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Rycroft-Malone J, Latter S, Yerrel P, et al. (2001) Consumerism in health care: the case of medication education. J Nurs Manage 9: 221–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Edwards K (2000) Service users and mental health nursing. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs 7: 555–565

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Dwight-Johnson M, Unutzer J, Sherbourne C, et al. (2001) Can quality improvement programmes for depression in primary care address patient preferences for treatment. Med Care 39: 934–944

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Kissen B, Platz A, Su W (1971) Selective factors in treatment choice and outcome in alcoholics. In: Mello N, Mendelson J (eds) Recent advances in studies of alcoholism. US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, pp 781–802

    Google Scholar 

  45. Devine DA, Fernald PS (1973) Outcomes effects of receiving a preferred, randomly assigned or nonpreferred therapy. J Consult Clin Psychol 41: 104–107

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Sterling RC, Gottheil E, Glassman G, Weinstein SP, Serota RD (1997) Patient treatment choice and compliance: data from a substance misuse programme. Am J Addict 6: 168–176

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Howard L, Thornicroft G (2006) Patient preference randomised controlled trials in mental health research. Br J Psychiatry 188: 303–304

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. King M, Nazareth I, Lampe F, Bower P, Chandler M, Morou M, Sibbald B, Lai R (2005) Impact of participant and physician intervention preferences on randomised trials—a systemic review. J Am Med Assoc 293:1089–1099

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Bedi N, Chilvers C, Churchill R, Dewey M, Duggan C, Fielding K, et al. (2000) Assessing effectiveness of treatment of depression in primary care: partially randomised preference trial. Br J Psychiatry 177: 312–318

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Ward E, King M, Lloyd M, Bower P, Sibbald B, Farrelly S, Gabbay M, Tarrier N, Addington-Hall J (2000) Randomised controlled trial of non-directive counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy and usual general practitioner care for patients with depression. I. Clinical effectiveness. Br Med J 321: 1383–1391

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Manthei RJ, Vitalo RL, Ivey AE (1982) The effect of client choice of therapist on therapy outcome. Community Ment Health J 18: 220–227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Welsh S, Deahl MP (2002) Modern psychiatric ethics. Lancet 359: 253–255

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Holloway F, Szmukler G (2003) Involuntary psychiatric treatment: capacity should be central to decision making. J Ment Health 12: 443–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Thomas P, Cahill AB (2004) Compulsion and psychiatry—the role of advance statements. Br Med J 329: 122–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. McCubbin M, Cohen D (1996) Extremely unbalanced: interest divergence and power disparities between clients and psychiatry. Int J Law Psychiatry 19: 1–25

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Fitzsimons S, Fuller R (2002) Empowerment and its implications for clinical practice in mental health: a review. J Ment Health 11: 481–499

    Google Scholar 

  57. Rogers ES, Chamberlin J, Ellison ML, Crean T (1997) A consumer-constructed scale to measure empowerment among users of mental health services. Psychiatr Serv 48: 1042–1047

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Wowra SA, McCarter R (1999) Validation of the empowerment scale with an outpatient mental health population. Psychiatr Serv 50: 959–961

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Corrigan PW, Garman AN (1997) Some considerations for research on consumer empowerment and psychosocial interventions. Psychiatr Serv 48: 347–352

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Corrigan PW, Faber D, Rashid F, Leary M (1999) The construct validity of empowerment among consumers of mental health services. Schizophr Res 38: 77–84

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Segal SP, Silverman C, Temkin T (1995) Measuring empowerment in client-run self help agencies. Community Ment Health J 31: 215–227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Foulkes EF (2000) Advocating for persons who are mentally ill: a history of mutual empowerment of patients and profession. Adm Policy Ment Health 27: 353–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Peck E, Gulliver P, Towel D (2002) Information, consultation or control: user involvement in mental health services in England at the turn of the century. J Ment Health 11: 441–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Geller JL, Brown JM, Fisher WH, Grudzinskas A, Manning T (1998) A national survey of “consumer empowerment” at the state level. Psychiatr Serv 49: 498–503

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Diamond B, Parkin G, Morris K, Bettinis J, Bettesworth C (2003) User involvement: substance or spin? J Ment Health 12: 613–626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Barker DA, Shergill SS, Higginson I, Orrell M (1996) Patients’ views towards care received from psychiatrists. Br J Psychiatry 168: 641–646

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Craig T, Doherty I, Jamieson-Craig R, Boocock A, Attafua G (2004) The consumer-employee as a member of a mental health assertive outreach team. I. Clinical and social outcomes. J Ment Health 13: 59–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  68. Doherty I, Craig T, Attafua G, Boocock A, Jamieson-Craig R (2004) The consumer-employee as a member of a mental health assertive outreach team. II. Impressions of consumer-employees and other team members. J Ment Health 13: 71–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Kumar S (2000) Client empowerment in psychiatry and the professional abuse of clients: where do we stand? Int J Psychiatry Med 30: 61–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Watts J, Priebe S (2002) A phenomenological account of users’ experiences of assertive community treatment. Bioethics 16: 439–454

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. McLean A (1995) Empowerment and the psychiatric consumer/ ex-patient movement in the United States: contraindications, crisis and challenges. Soc Sci Med 40: 1053–1071

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Williams B, Cattell D, Greenwood M, Lefevre S, Murray I, Thomas P (1999) Exploring person-centredness: user perspectives of a model of social psychiatry. Health Soc Care Community 7: 475–482

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. Colombo A, Bendelow G, Fulford B, Williams S (2003) Evaluating the influence of implicit models of mental disorder processes of shared decision making within community based multi-disciplinary teams. Soc Sci Med 56: 1557–1570

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornwall Partnership Trust and Peninsula Medical School, Mental Health Research Group, Wonford House Hospital, Exeter, EX2 5AD, UK

    Richard Laugharne MRCPsych

  2. Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Bart’s and the London School of Medicine, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, UK

    Stefan Priebe MD

Authors
  1. Richard Laugharne MRCPsych
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stefan Priebe MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Laugharne MRCPsych.

Additional information

Both authors are psychiatrists working in the UK.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Laugharne, R., Priebe, S. Trust, choice and power in mental health. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 843–852 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0123-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0123-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation