[Young chronic psychiatric patients. A new focus in research and practice]

This paper tries to show how stimulating the mutual effects of modeling, providing a network of psychiatric facilities and research can be in the care of young adult chronic patients. However, they do not behave all the same and require various strategies in therapy. Under the influence of a new model of Sheets et al. (1982), the young adult chronic patients are classified into three subgroups: the "High-Functioning, High-Aspiration"-, "Low-Energy, Low-Demand"- and the "High-Energy, High-Demand"-group. With the example of the situation in Berne it can be shown that each group needs different facilities. The own research allows conclusions about the efficacy of the therapeutic offers. On the other hand, it stresses the point that especially the group of "High-Energy, High-Demand"-patients are a major challenge for us in psychiatry. Finally some reflections are presented how we professionals can deal with these patients in future to do more justice to them.