A further critical description of the therapeutic community

A review of the literature pertaining to therapeutic communities in Britain is presented. An outline of the historical origins and development of communities is provided. Overall, the review is set within a somewhat sceptical context. Mention is made of the inherent confusion of descriptions resulting from the proliferation of competing terminologies in the field. Problems of research are also itemized as are problems of ideological interference with both theory and practice. A tentative conclusion suggests that outcome measures might assist the process of describing these communities more accurately.