The authors explored self-reports of the social integration of 163
chronically ill psychiatric patients who were admitted to 12 nursing homes
over a 1-year period. Results suggest that nursing home care for
psychiatric patients is custodial and institutional in character and that
the social integration of such patients is generally low. Nursing home
patients had lower scores than outpatients but not inpatients on a measure
of social participation; they were similar to both these groups on measures
of spending and employment. Levels of social integration changed little
over 1 year, either for better or for worse.Abstract Teaser