The author traces the case histories of five anorexic female patients treated in the therapeutic milieu in a psychiatric inpatient unit. The history of anorexia nervosa is reviewed, incidence of the disorder is cited, and common characteristics are described. Case histories are presented in terms of events precipitating the weight loss, behavior…

This study investigated the level of superstitious belief among 175 persons in three categories: persons undergoing inpatient psychiatric treatment, churchgoers, and college students. A 50-item inventory consisting of positive and negative common superstitions, including a 5-item invalidity subscale, was administered. Using a 2 (male, female) x 3…

William Menninger (1948) reported research results indicating a significant relationship in a former patient's ability to stay well and his participation in recreation. J. Bates (1963) indicated one reason patients return to psychiatric facilities was the lack of skills that center around recreation. This study was conducted to investigate the…

In 1977 Paul and Lentz published results of social learning therapy, also called token economy, for chronic psychiatric inpatients of state mental hospitals. The enormous success of token economy therapy both for the patients' mental health and for cost effectiveness led Paul and Lentz to conclude that this therapy was the treatment of choice for…

Poetry therapy has been in use with adult psychiatric patients at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, D.C, for 10 years. The treatment used involves reading poetry, listening to recordings, studying poets, and writing poetry. The patients' choice of poems is not restricted by the staff, but different types of poetry appeal to different types of…

Beck's (1967) hypotheses concerning depression build upon notions that a depressed person's cognitions differ from those of nondepressed persons and that a relationship exists in which depressive cognitions assume primacy over mood. A study was conducted to test Beck's hypotheses and to examine the roles that cognition and mood play in depression.…

Physical aggression among psychiatric inpatients is a concern to those responsible for their clinical management. Three models have been used to explain the occurrence of physical aggression among these patients. The Personological model emphasizes the role of dispositional variables; the Social-Environmental model stresses the importance of the…

A saturation sample of child and adolescent residential treatment facilities and psychiatric hospitals in Florida was conducted. A total of 128 facilities completed surveys, with a response rate of 51%. The majority of those who responded were from Child Caring (CC) facilities (55%), Hospital/Intensive Residential Treatment (IRT) facilities (25%),…

Data were gathered on a statewide basis in 102 Illinois counties on both the incidence and prevalence of adolescent public psychiatric hospitalizations and the identified self-destructive behaviors: (1) completed suicides; (2) assaultive behaviors; (3) runaway behavior; (4) substance abuse; and (5) teenage births, from fiscal year 1985 through…

Suicide assessment and prediction are important functions performed by psychiatrists. Although the specificity and sensitivity of assessment instruments are poor, trainees are instructed to become proficient in their application. The occurrence of suicides during training confronts trainees with personal and professional limitations. The charts of…

Because research studies on post-relocation mortality in the elderly have come to inconsistent and contradictory conclusions, clinical teams recommending patients for placement are still relying on educated intuition as a basis for clinical decisions in what may be a life-or-death matter for elderly institutionalized patients. This study was…

Homelessness is a significant social problem in the United States and it has been estimated that there may be as many as 2.5 million homeless people in this country today. For these people, poverty, substance abuse, and harsh living conditions may further contribute to the development of physical and mental health problems. A study was conducted…

This study examined factors that may place adolescents at risk for psychological dysfunction and school failure. Subjects were 70 adolescents who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital from September 1986 to March 1988. Demographic, academic performance, familial, and psychological data were retroactively gathered from patient files, tabulated…

Fifty-four admissions to the psychiatric unit of a general hospital were asked to predict their length of hospitalization. The difference between their predicted and actual length of hospitalization was calculated (expectancy-reality discrepancy-ERD). Patient ERD scores were compared with self-report, ward, and therapist measures of patient…

Recent research has indicated that adolescents are particularly prone to witnessing, perpetrating, and being victimized by violence. Research has also suggested that depression may be a risk factor for aggression in adolescents. This document presents preliminary results from a study evaluating the relationship among violence exposure, aggressive…