Loss of control and the chronic mentally ill in a rural day-treatment center.
OBJECTIVE
What do chronically mentally ill clients consider to be the core variable in maintaining health, and how do they go about doing this?


METHODS
A grounded theory design with analysis of interviews of seven chronically mentally ill clients in a rural day-treatment center.


RESULTS
The core variable in maintaining health according to chronic mentally ill clients is preventing loss of control. A process was discovered that clients used to do this.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic mentally ill clients prevent loss of control by using informal relationships to adapt behaviors, attitudes, and feelings within a supportive environment. If this fails, they turn to formal sources of control such as therapists, case workers, or other mental health providers.
Yurkovich
E
E
College of Nursing, Montana State University-Bozeman, Great Falls, USA.
Buehler
J
J
Smyer
T
T
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D019035:Rural Health Services; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires