In treatment, differing perceptions of a patient's health status by the patient and by the psychiatrist should be addressed. Professionals should be aware that patients' difficulties in private social relations might affect both treatment alliance and service utilisation.

This paper presents results of two exploratory investigations concerning the effectiveness of the Reflecting Team (RT) approach, conducted in Vienna and in Gottingen. Fifty‐nine families/couples participated in the RT approach in the two outpatient settings. Follow‐up reports from 35 families – obtained on average 15 months after closure – indicated that this model may be considered effective as well as efficient: two thirds of all clients (who made up a heterogeneous group with regard to diagnostic criteria and stage of development of the identified patient) reported symptom improvement, and about 80% said they were very satisfied; these results were obtained with a fairly small number of sessions.

The aim of this study is to compare psychiatric patients' satisfaction with their treatment in Munich and in South Tirol. For this purpose, besides clinical and social-demographic factors, for each sample-group of patients, their general satisfaction, their valuation of the different aspects of hospital treatment and life quality were considered and compared. The relevance of these elements in the global satisfaction was examined with linear multiple regression models. The results of the research show a rather high level of global satisfaction in both sample-groups, even if statistically relevant differences occur in evaluations of several aspects of the treatment. In Munich's sample-group a higher rate of satisfaction emerged in relation with the treatment: the attitude of the medical staff, the psycho-pharmacological treatments, the clinic's image and the conduct of the nursing staff. In both groups the most relevant factor for patients' satisfaction, besides the positive results of the treatment, was the attitude of the doctor, and in particular way his empathy with the patient. In regard to the age, the diagnosis and the duration of the hospitalization, it was not possible to demonstrate, in both sample-groups, any statistically relevant connection with the general satisfaction rate, while a high rate of trust in the doctors and in the medicines was found to be, in each group, a significant condition for a positive evaluation of the treatment. The influence of the personal life-quality was proven statistically relevant but weak. Altogether, regardless of the medical structure that was examined, the results underline the predominant importance of the curing doctor's social and emotional skills for patients' satisfaction.

QoL is independent of illness severity. Deinstitutionalisation improves QoL and OLS is mainly predicted by subjective variables.

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