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Community treatment environments. Patient vs. staff evaluations
J M Goldstein1, P Cohen, S A Lewis
1Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|April 1, 1988
Summary
Patients and staff in NYC partial hospitalization programs valued different aspects of care. Patients prioritized emotional climate and clear goals, while staff focused on treatment interventions for personal and practical issues.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Mental Health Services Research
Background:
- Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) are crucial for managing chronic psychiatric patients in acute distress.
- Understanding patient and staff perspectives is vital for optimizing PHP effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare patient and staff perceptions of helpfulness in New York City PHPs.
- To identify specific program elements that contribute to positive patient and staff evaluations.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of patient and staff perceptions within five NYC-based PHPs.
- Evaluation of program elements, emotional climate, goal clarity, and problem scrutiny.
Main Results:
- Both patients and staff reported positive program assessments.
- Patients found emotional climate, clear goals, and non-intrusive problem exploration most helpful.
- Staff emphasized direct treatment interventions for personal and practical problems as key.
Conclusions:
- Differing frames of reference between patients and staff influence program evaluation.
- Tailoring community treatment programs requires consideration of both patient-centered and staff-prioritized elements.