Preferences for Decision-Making Style and Knowledge of and Attitudes To Recovery in Mental Health Professionals Working in Inpatient and Outpatient Settings in Routine Mental Health Practice: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in the Danish Mental Health Services

TL;DR

This study explores how mental health professionals in Denmark prefer to make decisions and how their preferences relate to their understanding and attitudes toward recovery.

Contribution

The study identifies associations between decision-making style preferences and recovery knowledge/attitudes among mental health professionals.

Findings

Most professionals preferred shared decision-making, but preferences varied by profession, experience, and setting.

Those preferring shared or active styles scored higher on recovery knowledge compared to those preferring passive styles.

Few professionals reported receiving SDM training or having access to decision-support tools.

Abstract

In mental health care, shared decision making (SDM) is a central part of the recovery paradigm. However, implementing SDM can be challenging, and professionals may prefer different decision-making styles. This study explored preferences for decision-making style and examined their association with knowledge of and attitudes to recovery among mental health professionals in routine hospital-based services. An exploratory cross-sectional survey was conducted among mental health professionals (N = 552) in hospital-based services in one of Denmark’s five regions. Preferences for decision-making style were measured using the Clinical Decision Making Style Scale – Staff Questionnaire, while professionals’ knowledge of and attitudes to recovery were assessed using the Recovery Knowledge Inventory. Although the majority of participants (72.4%) preferred a shared decision-making style, there were differences in preferences based on profession, work experience, and setting. One in five reported having received SDM training, and fewer reported having access to decision-support tools. Indications of differences in knowledge of and attitudes to recovery between professionals’ preferences for decision-making styles were found: those who preferred a shared or active style seemed to score higher on the RKI compared to those who preferred a passive, clinician-led style. While descriptive in nature, the findings suggest patterns in decision-making preferences that may help inform future implementation efforts. The results also suggest a potential alignment between endorsement of shared- or active decision-making styles and recovery-oriented values. Further research is needed to investigate how preferences translate into actual clinical practice and how knowledge about and attitudes to recovery may be operationalized as recovery-oriented care.

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