Causal beliefs and acute psychiatric hospital admission

Abstract

Causal beliefs regarding the onset of psychiatric disorder and treatment expectations for clients admitted to a psychiatric unit were examined from the points of view of the clients themselves, their relatives and staff. Results suggested that these beliefs were influenced by the admission itself. Those clients who had been admitted previously held significantly higher biological causal beliefs than those who had been admitted for the first time; as compared to staff who did not distinguish between the two groups in this way. The mean psychosocial views of relatives decreased significantly over the two-month period following an admission. Clients' and relatives' mean biological views were significantly greater than those of staff. Various correlations were found between causal beliefs and treatment expectations including one in the relative's' view between psychosocial causal beliefs and the importance assigned to family therapy. Indeed, there was a significant decrease in the family therapy rating over time given by relatives.

Nurses attitudes towards the importance of families in psychiatric care following an educational and training intervention program

“…Family nursing has received increased attention internationally from healthcare professionals and families. Nurses working in psychiatry know that the families of psychiatric patients often suffer feelings of rejection and stigmatization, which can create tension within the family and can lead to difficult experiences regarding hospitalization (Whittle 1996). Psychiatric nurses frequently engage in therapeutic conversation with families, where the focus is on helping families to handle feelings of suffering related to psychiatric hospitalization (Wright 2007).…”

Cross-Cultural Comparison of Explanatory Models of Illness in Schizophrenic Patients in Jordan and Germany

“…There has been much investigation of schizophrenic patients' beliefs about the causes of their illness (Angermeyer & Klusmann, 1988;Whittle, 1996;Holzinger, Loffler, Muller, Priebe, & Angermeyer, 2001;Holzinger, Muller , Priebe, & Angermeyer, 2001;Holzinger , Kilian, Lindenbach, Petscheleit, & Angermeyer, 2003;McCabe & Priebe, 2004). Most of these studies have been done in German-speaking countries and have shown that schizophrenic patients emphasize the importance of acute or chronic psychosocial stress as being the main cause of their illness, whereas biological causes such as genetic influences or neurotransmitter disturbances are mentioned by relatively few patients.…”

Manufacturing a human drama from a psychiatric crisis: crisis intervention, family therapy and the work of R. D. Scott

“…The importance of the concept of closure in relation to the experience of entering psychiatric hospital is supported by research undertaken by Whittle (1996), which examined the impact of admission on the causal beliefs of the people who were admitted, their families and the sta. This study suggests that following admission clients and their relatives became more attached to biological theories of causation, while psychosocial causal beliefs decreased signi®cantly over the period of hospitalization.…”