Effects of leisure counseling on adult psychiatric outpatients.
This study evaluates the impact of a leisure counseling program on the leisure attitude and self-esteem of adult psychiatric outpatients. Sixteen outpatients at a private psychiatric hospital were assigned to one of two groups. Both groups received traditional outpatient services and programs. The experimental group also received a leisure counseling program that was offered for 10 consecutive weeks. Comparing the adult psychiatric outpatients' group scores to normative data revealed that their leisure attitude and self-esteem were unusual. Over the course of the intervention program, the experimental group relative to the control group experienced no significant change in their leisure attitude and self-esteem. The intervention program did emerge as differentially affecting members of the experimental group depending on their age. A discussion clarifies how leisure counseling and evaluation procedures could be made more appropriate for a psychiatric outpatient population.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006744:Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D012559:Schizophrenia