Criteria for success in deinstitutionalization: perceptions of nursing homes by different interest groups.

Studies of deinstitutionalization often use a limited set of criteria by which to judge success. Social integration and recidivism, for example, are particularly popular criteria. Yet such criteria may not reflect the diverse settings in which community care occurs, nor the diverse views of success held by different interest groups. The present study presents a methodology for developing more comprehensive criteria for evaluating social programs, including deinstitutionalization. The methodology is illustrated by analyzing the perceptions of different interest groups about the nature of successful care for mental patients in nursing homes.