title: Community meetings on a military inpatient psychiatric unit: a question of balance.
abstract: Community meetings are a mainstay of any inpatient psychiatric unit. Although they differ in frequency, attendance, leadership, and size, they all maintain a similar purpose of acculturating the members to the values of the ward and encouraging responsible behavior and effective communication. The military inpatient psychiatric unit is no different, although it does have several unique factors that affect the management of the community meeting. Specifically, these factors are the inherent military rank structure, which often conflicts with the rank of staff and other patients, the incorporation of a civilian population into a military culture, and a greater focus on patient transitions from military to civilian society. We describe and discuss the common variables of community meetings, elucidate how the military aspects affect the meeting, and offer potential suggestions for the management of this unique large dynamic group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, GA 30905, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D006126:Group Processes; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007857:Leadership; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D008890:Military Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012945:Social Values