A study of former mental patients who returned to visit the ward on which they were hospitalized.
We have observed that former psychiatric inpatients often return to visit the ward after they have been discharged. Nothing has been written about this phenomenon, but it seemed to us that since not all discharged patients return to visit, a difference must exist between those who do visit and those who do not. The following report presents the results of our investigation into the distinguishing characteristics of the visiting ex-patients. Reider (1953) and Safirstein (1967, 1970) have described the phenomenon of institutional transference, which deals with patients' attachment to the institution rather than to an individual therapist. However, our data show that the phenomenon of former patients visiting goes beyond that, in some instances reflecting meaningful relationships with staff members and other patients, but in other instances indicating continuing treatment needs of various kinds.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014167:Transference, Psychology