Yurkovich E, Buehler J, Smyer T
College of Nursing, Montana State University-Bozeman, Great Falls, USA.
Perspect Psychiatr Care. 1997 Jul-Sep;33(3):33-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6163.1997.tb00546.x.
What do chronically mentally ill clients consider to be the core variable in maintaining health, and how do they go about doing this?
A grounded theory design with analysis of interviews of seven chronically mentally ill clients in a rural day-treatment center.
The core variable in maintaining health according to chronic mentally ill clients is preventing loss of control. A process was discovered that clients used to do this.
Chronic mentally ill clients prevent loss of control by using informal relationships to adapt behaviors, attitudes, and feelings within a supportive environment. If this fails, they turn to formal sources of control such as therapists, case workers, or other mental health providers.
