Strategies for maintaining optimal wellness in the chronic mentally ill

Ways the chronic mentally ill avoid loss of control and the importance of both the therapeutic environment and the nurse-patient relationship in helping them do this.

To examine the strategies people with chronic mental illness use to prevent loss of control and maintain health, and ways nurses can help with this process.

Findings from a previously published study of seven chronically mentally ill clients in a rural day-treatment center.

Four properties related to the core variable of "preventing loss of control" are relationships, feelings, good attitude, and functional activity. These properties must be examined within the context of the therapeutic environment as well as the nurse-patient relationship.