title: The influence of a therapeutic community on psychiatric disorder.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Dibden Research Unit, Glenside Hospital, Eastwood, Australia.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hafner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holme
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013808:Therapeutic Community