The influence of a therapeutic community on psychiatric disorder

• Published in: Journal of clinical psychology Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 461 - 468
• Main Authors: Hafner, R. Julian, Holme, Gwili
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brandon Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.07.1996; Wiley; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Borderline Personality Disorder - therapy; Female; Hostility; Humans; Institution therapy. Inpatient treatment; Male; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - therapy; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Patient Readmission; Prospective Studies; Psychological tests; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapy, Group; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surveys and Questionnaires; Therapeutic Community; Therapy; Treatments; Human; Treatment efficiency; Mental disorder; Adult; Therapeutic schedule; Therapeutic community; Personality disorder
• ISSN: 0021-9762; 1097-4679
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199607)52:4<461::AID-JCLP12>3.0.CO;2-E

Forty‐eight residents of a therapeutic community took part in a prospective study aimed at assessing overall outcome and which components of the program were most helpful. All subjects had a DSM‐III‐R axis II diagnosis, usually borderline personality disorder (N = 34). As well, subjects had a mean of 1.3 axis I diagnoses, underlining the severity of their psychiatric disorders. Significant symptom reduction on the Brief Symptom Inventory occurred at discharge after a mean stay of 64 days, with further significant falls at three month follow‐up. These changes were paralleled in the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire, a measure of personality. Hospital admission rates fell significantly in the year after discharge. Clients rated group therapy as the most helpful component of the program. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.