Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore treatment-related concerns among individuals attending outpatient psychiatric services, to inform more empathetic and culturally responsive mental health practices within the Pakistani context.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2024 at the Psychiatry Outpatient Department of District Headquarter Teaching Hospital, Khyber Medical University Institute of Medical Sciences, Kohat. A total of 500 adult psychiatric patients were recruited using purposive sampling. All participants were invited to voice their questions regarding their illness and treatment, which were recorded along with sociodemographic data. Responses were thematically categorized and analyzed using SPSS version 17.
Results: Out of 500 participants, 207 (41.4%) expressed specific concerns. The majority were female (57.2%), aged 21–45 years (67.4%), married (73.6%), and attending follow-up visits (57.8%). Patients with depressive disorder accounted for the highest proportion of concerns (66.2%), followed by generalized anxiety disorder (13%) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (7.7%). The most frequent concerns included the nature of the illness (31.4%), treatment duration (25.6%), and side effects of medications (21.3%). Notably, patients on follow-up visits reported significantly more concerns than those attending for the first time (p=0.011).
Conclusion: A significant number of psychiatric outpatients expressed concerns that were not properly addressed, mainly about the length of treatment, side effects of medicines, and the nature of their illness. Improving communication between patients and mental health professionals can help address these issues, strengthen the therapeutic relationship, and promote better treatment adherence among outpatient psychiatric patients.

Key words: Stress, depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder obsessive-compulsive disorder.