Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:52:24.864Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The use of Ward Support by Psychiatric Patients in the Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

S. F. Mitchell
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF
J. L. T. Birley
Affiliation:
Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ

Summary

A system of ward support for chronic psychiatric patients in an urban community is described, which makes available ward and staff facilities throughout the 24 hours and at weekends. Details are given of a group of 41 patients using this facility over a period of six months. Two types of use of the ward were identified, based on the amount of social interaction with other staff and patients. The ‘unengaged’, with a high rate of visits, were mainly schizophrenic patients with an early first onset of illness and currently a scanty social network (small primary group and often no confidant). The ‘engaged’, with a lower rate of visits, were people with a later onset and a larger social network.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1983 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beels, C. C. (1981) Social support and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 7(1), 5872.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, C. I. & Sokolovsky, J. (1978) Schizophrenia and social networks: Ex-patients in the inner city. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 4(4), 546–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Froland, C., Brodsky, G., Olson, M. & Stewart, L. (1979) Social support and social adjustment; Implications for mental health professionals. Community Mental Health Journal, 15(2), 8293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henderson, S., Duncan-Jones, P., McAuley, H. & Ritchie, K. (1978) The patient's primary group. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 7486.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hewett, S., Ryan, P. & Wing, J. K. (1975) Living without the mental hospitals. Journal of Social Policy, 4, 391404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korer, J. R., Freeman, H. L. & Cheadle, A. J. (1978) The social situation of schizophrenic patients living in the community. International Journal of Mental Health, 6, 4565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehmann, S. (1980) The social ecology of natural supports. In Community Mental Health: A Behaviour-Ecological Perspective (eds. A. Jeger and R. W. Slotnich). New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Mann, S. & Cree, W. (1976) ‘New’ long-stay psychiatric patients: a national survey of fifteen mental hospitals in England and Wales 1972/3. Psychological Medicine, 6, 603–16.Google ScholarPubMed
McCowan, P. & Wilder, J. (1975) The Lifestyle of 100 Psychiatric Patients. London: Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.Google Scholar
Pattison, E. M., Defrancisco, D., Wood, P., Frazier, H. & Crowder, J. (1975) A psychosocial kinship model for family therapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 1246–51.Google ScholarPubMed
Ryan, P. & Wing, J. K. (1979) Patterns of residential care. In Alternative Patterns of Residential Care for Discharged Psychiatric Patients (ed. R. Olson). London: British Association of Social Workers.Google Scholar
Silberfeld, M. (1978) Psychological symptoms and social supports. Social Psychiatry, 13, 1117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tolsdorf, C. C. (1976) Social networks, support and coping. Family Process, 15, 407–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, J. P., Bennett, D. H. & Isaacs, A. D. (1970) Psychiatric units in general hospitals. Lancet, March 7, 511–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wing, J. K. & Brown, G. W. (1961) Social treatment of chronic schizophrenia: a comparative survey of three mental hospitals. Journal of Mental Science, 107, 847–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sartorius, N. (1974) Measurements and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. London: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., Mann, S. A., Leff, J. P. & Nixon, J. M. (1978) The concept of a ‘case’ in psychiatric population surveys. Psychological Medicine, 8(2), 203–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wykes, T. & Wing, J. K. (1981) A hostel ward for ‘new’ long-stay patients. MRC Social Psychiatry Mimeo. March 1981.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.