THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMMING FOR THE NON-PSYCHOTIC PATIENT

Abstract

Forty-seven patients suffering from personality disorders manifested through somatic symptoms or behavioral crises were treated by short-term hospitalization on a ward reserved primarily for acute psychotic disorders. The patients had been refractory to previous treatment approaches. The average hospitalization lasted 16 days and consisted of a highly structured program designed to restore the patient to social functioning and to provide a setting and a vocabulary for converting somatic and behavioral expression into verbal expression. Family members were involved in the treatment. In most of the cases there was a complete loss of presenting symptoms and disturbance at the time of discharge. A follow-up study 18-30 months after discharge revealed that the gains persisted in 2/3 of the group evaluated. The results are attributed to specific social, psychological, and educational processes requiring a particular kind of ward structure and staff attitude for successful results.