Mental health attitudes and treatment expectations as treatment variables

Evaluated 60 patients just before their initial assessment in a community mental health clinic. A series of questions about mental health attitudes and treatment expectation were asked each patient. The Psychiatric Evaluation Form was administered both before evaluation and after five treatment visits. Patients with harsh, pessimistic views about mental illness had more severe psychopathology and did less well over the period of follow-up. Expectation of medication was associated strongly with lower education, greater severity of illness, lower satisfaction with treatment, greater frequency of dropping out of treatment, and less improvement.