A psychiatric ward with its specific attitudes as a social system within the community of a General Hospital

The establishment of a psychiatric ward in a general hospital with modern therapeutic milieu orientation will necessitate certain changes and create problems of the following nature: (1) The psychiatric ward as a 'deviant' department within the social system of the general hospital. (2) The transition of the traditional approaches to the modern trend within the team of the department. The patient is required to develop an attitude of active participation. (3) The group setup of open ward groups in contrast to the more familiar orthodox out-patient groups are discussed. (4) Ward life discussed as a time-limited experience taken out of life situation. The change in attitude of the doctor will have to be more integrative by being able to deal with various levels and depth of behavior and functioning in multiple ways as related to the patient and his community.