Acute Psychiatric Services in the General Hospital: III. Statistical Survey
JAMES J. MULLER PH.D.1,
MORRIS E. CHAFETZ M.D.2, , and
HOWARD T. BLANE PH.D.3
1 Assistant Psycologist, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. 02114, Research Associate in Psychology, Harvard Medical School
2 Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. 02114, Director of the Alcohol Clinic and Acute Psychiatric Service, Assistant Clinical Professor, Harvard Medical School
3 Associate Psycologist, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. 02114, Associate in Psycology, Harvard Medical School
From the point of view of community mental health, the critical aspect of the acute psychiatric admission to a general hospital service lies in the opportunity to establish a needed treatment relationship during the brief interval the patient (who is often chronic) is motivated to accept it. There is evidence that lower-class, chronic patients follow through on long-range treatment programs when such programs are actively promoted in the emergency service.
