Characteristics of a good ward atmosphere.

Thirty-five short term wards were evaluated with the WAS and a good milieu index. The results indicated that psychotic and non-psychotic patients need different types of atmosphere. Psychotic patients seem to benefit primarily from a milieu with a high level of Support, Practical orientation and Order and organization, and a low level of Anger and aggression, whereas non-psychotic patients seem to benefit mostly from a milieu with a high level of all subscales except for two: the level of Staff control ought to be low and the level of Anger and aggression ought probably to be intermediate.