Community work as part of the psychiatric services of Nacka.
In psychiatry we often meet people presenting psychiatric symptoms rooted in social or psycho-social problems. Traditional treatment methods often fail, leading to a sense of failure in the therapist and an experience of being misunderstood or being "a hopeless case" in the patient. There is a need for developing new methods for problems belonging to the "grey zone", that is the area bordering on or covered by the three major care systems in our society: the social welfare, the primary care system and psychiatry. These methods should necessarily take into account the specific needs expressed in the symptoms and guarantee a more holistic perspective of the patient and his situation. The author gives some practical examples of work with immigrant women, an Information Bureau and a Cafe especially intended for chronically ill psychiatric patients.
D000069:Acculturation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000639:trends; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000639:trends; D013548:Sweden