Assessment of Psychiatric Services in Quetta Pakistan: A Survey of HealthCare Providers and Patients

Background: Access to high-quality psychiatric services remains a major challenge in many low- and middle-income countries, including Pakistan. In Balochistan, limited mental health infrastructure, workforce shortages, financial constraints, and social stigma continue to impede access to appropriate psychiatric care. Despite increasing recognition of mental health needs, evidence regarding the quality and accessibility of psychiatric services in Quetta remains limited. Objective: To assess the accessibility and quality of psychiatric services in Quetta, Pakistan, from the perspectives of patients and healthcare providers and to identify factors associated with patient satisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 participants, comprising 50 psychiatric patients and 50 healthcare providers recruited from major psychiatric healthcare facilities in Quetta, Pakistan. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires assessing service accessibility, quality of care, patient satisfaction, organizational support, and barriers to mental healthcare. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics, while chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and logistic regression were performed to examine associations between study variables. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Overall, 58% of patients reported moderate satisfaction with psychiatric services, whereas 24% reported high satisfaction and 18% reported low satisfaction. Financial constraints (42%), social stigma (36%), and transportation difficulties (22%) were identified as the principal barriers to accessing psychiatric care. Among healthcare providers, inadequate resources (46%), workforce shortages (34%), and infrastructure limitations (20%) were the most frequently reported challenges affecting service delivery. Greater accessibility to psychiatric services was significantly associated with higher patient satisfaction (p < 0.05). Healthcare providers also highlighted the need for increased organizational support and expansion of mental health resources to improve service quality. Conclusion: Psychiatric services in Quetta face substantial challenges related to accessibility, workforce capacity, infrastructure, and resource availability. Strengthening mental health infrastructure, expanding the trained mental health workforce, integrating psychiatric care into primary healthcare services, and implementing stigma-reduction strategies may improve access to care and enhance patient satisfaction. These findings provide evidence to inform future mental health policy and service planning in Balochistan and similar resource-constrained settings.