# 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.

## Key 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.