Patients' views of industrial therapy

Patients are rarely consulted about the major planning decisions which affect them more than anyone else. The present study, completed in 1984, sought the views of patients in the Industrial Therapy Department of a large psychiatric hospital due for closure in the next decade. Areas covered included what patients felt about the department, attitudes to staff, pay rates and working conditions, and preferences in future care. Results showed a positive attitude to Industrial Therapy tempered by some suggestions for improvement. A preference by a majority of patients for living in the community was backed by a realistic interpretation of the problems involved.