The authors present a 9-year follow-up study of 76 chronically ill
psychiatric patients treated in "coffee groups," a maintenance treatment
approach first described in a pilot study in 1976. Their findings show a
significant drop in rehospitalization rates for chronic schizophrenic
patients after they had started to attend the group, despite irregular
patterns of participation and attendance. There was a leveling off of
measurable change in psychosocial functioning in contrast to earlier
optimistic reports. The coffee group formula has proved to be economical
and is viable for a wide chronic diagnostic range and for a variety of
therapists' styles.Abstract Teaser