Psychiatric patients' perceptions of their milieu therapy program

This study was designed to provide information concerning psychiatric patients' perceptions of their individual treatment program in an inpatient treatment facility with an established therapeutic milieu. The responses of 24 patients aged 16 to 69 years to an 8-item questionnaire, developed and administered by the investigator, constituted the data collected. The 24 patients identified 57 components as part of their treatment programs. Patients with more education mentioned more treatment components than those with less education. Talking with staff members was considered the most helpful treatment component by the most patients, and medication was the most frequently mentioned least helpful treatment component. Six categories were used to organize the data: recreation-physical, recreation-mental, verbal interaction, creature comforts, staff supervision, and diagnostic and medical services. More of the identified treatment components were categorized under verbal interaction than any other category. The second most mentioned category was recreation-physical. As patients listed the most helpful persons during their hospitalization, 36 students and staff members and four other patients were identified. Two psychiatric technicians, a registered nurse, and an occupational therapist were mentioned most often. Patients tended to see persons of their same sex and close to their age as particularly helpful.