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Effective psychiatric day treatment: historical lessons
J S Rosie1, H F Azim, W E Piper
1Department of psychiatry, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Canada.
Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.)
|October 1, 1995
Summary
This successful day treatment program offers intensive psychodynamic milieu therapy for personality disorders. Key factors include patient matching, milieu authority, and referral relationships for effective treatment.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychotherapy
Background:
- Personality disorders often involve recurrent depression, dysthymia, and anxiety.
- Traditional day treatment programs have evolved from earlier day hospital models.
Observation:
- A successful four-month intensive psychodynamic group-oriented milieu treatment program is described.
- Treatment failures in some day programs may stem from neglecting key therapeutic factors.
Findings:
- Optimal treatment-patient matching is crucial for success.
- Judicious use of authority within milieu therapy enhances effectiveness.
- Maintaining strong relationships with referral sources is vital.
Implications:
- Day treatment programs are essential for intensive milieu therapy.
- Replacing day treatment with assertive community treatment could be a premature abdication of responsibility.
- The described program model offers a viable alternative for complex psychiatric conditions.