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The seriously mentally ill: Another perspective on treatment resistance

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Abstract

There is a subpopulation of the seriously mentally ill who remain acute care recidivists, rarely becoming engaged in follow-up treatment. It has been argued that these individuals are system, rather than treatment resisters. The perceptions they have of their problems are often in conflict with staff evaluations, or with what the system has to offer. In the present study, patients who dropped out of residential care against staff's advice were compared to patients who remained in treatment. The results suggest that the greater the difference between the perceptions a patient and therapist have concerning the patient's problem, the greater the likelihood of the patient dropping out of treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, University of Arizona, USA

    Jose M. Santiago M.D. (Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry)

  2. University of Arizona, USA

    Jose M. Santiago M.D. (Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry)

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, USA

    Michael R. Berren Ph.D. (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology)

  4. University of Arizona, USA

    Allan Beigel M.D. (Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology)

  5. Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, USA

    Mo Therese Hannah M.C. (Graduate Student)

  6. Department of Psychiatry, Kino Community Hospital, 2800 East Ajo Way, 85713, Tucson, AZ

    Mo Therese Hannah M.C. (Graduate Student)

Authors
  1. Jose M. Santiago M.D.
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  2. Michael R. Berren Ph.D.
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  3. Allan Beigel M.D.
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  4. Stephen M. Goldfinger M.D.
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  5. Mo Therese Hannah M.C.
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Additional information

Dr. Goldfinger is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.

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Santiago, J.M., Berren, M.R., Beigel, A. et al. The seriously mentally ill: Another perspective on treatment resistance. Community Ment Health J 26, 237–244 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00752774

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00752774

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