Abstract
Patients discharged from state psychiatric hospitals into community care homes were followed for four months. Both observers and the patients themselves rated the homes' social environments as well as the patients' needs and capabilities. Patients' functioning in the community was shown to be enhanced when there was a congruence between the patient and the environment in particular areas. Results suggest that patients' perceptions of congruence are better predictors of success than are observers' judgments.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alker, H.A. Is personality situationally specific or intrapsychically consistent? In Endler, N., and Magnusson, D. (Eds.),International psychology and personality. New York: Wiley, 1976.
Anthony, W., Buell, G., Sharrah, S., and Althoff, M. Efficacy of psychiatric rehabilitation.Psychological Bulletin 1972,78 447–456.
Antonovsky, A.Health, stress and coping. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1979.
Bohrnstedt, G. Observations on the Measurement of Change. InSociological Methodology. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1969.
Bowers, K.S. Situationism in psychology: An analysis and critique.Psychological Review 1973,80 307–336.
Caplan, R.D., Cobb, S., French, J.R.P., et al.Job Demands and Worker Health: Main effects and occupational differences. HEW Publication No. 75-160, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1975.
Carpenter, J.O., and Bourestan, N.C. Performance of psychiatric hospital discharges in strict and tolerant environments.Community Mental Health Journal 1976,12 45–51.
Coulton, C.J. Developing an instrument to measure person-environment fit.Journal of Social Service Research 1979,3 159–174.
Cronbach, L.-J., and Furby, L. How we should measure change — or should we?Psychological Bulletin 1970,74 68–80.
Endler, N., and Magnusson, D. Toward an interactional psychology of personality.Psychological Bulletin 1976,89 956–974.
French, J.R.P., Rodgers, W., and Cobb, S. Adjustment as person-environment fit. In Coelho, G., Hamburg, D., and Adams, J. (Eds.),Coping and Adaptation. New York: Basic Books, 1974.
Gillis, J.S. The effects of selected antipsychotic drugs on human judgment.Current Therapeutic Research 1977,21 224–232.
Gillis, J.S., and Davis, A. The effects of Thioridazine and Mesanidazine on the interpersonal learning of acute schizophrenics.Current Therapeutic Research 1977,21 507–517.
Gillis, J.S., and Parkisian, D. The effects of Phenothiazines on complex learning.Current Therapeutic Research 1977,22 349–355.
Gomez, E. Small supportive treatment units and the problem of recidivism in indigent chronic schizophrenic patients.Psychiatric Quarterly 1981,53 178–183.
Harrison, R.V. Person-environment fit and job stress. In Cooper, C.L., and Payne, R.E. (Eds.),Stress at work. New York: Wiley, 1978.
Hobbs, N. Mental health's third revolution.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 1964,34 822–833.
Hogarty, G., and Ulrich, R. The Discharge Readiness Inventory.Archives of General Psychiatry 1972,26 419–426.
Kahana, E. A congruence model of person-environment interaction. An unpublished. Detroit: Wayne State University, 1978.
Kahana, E., Hiang, J., and Felton, B. Alternative models of person-environment fit: Prediction of morale in three homes for the aged.Journal of Gerontology 1980,35 584–595.
Kulka, R.A. Interaction as person-environment fit.New Directions for Methodology of Behavioral Science 1979,2 55–71.
Lamb, H.R., and Goertzel, V. The long-term patient in the era of community treatment.Archives of General Psychiatry 1977,34 679–686.
Lazarus, R.S., and Launier, R. Stress-related transactions between person and environment. In Pervin, L.A., and Lewis, M. (Eds.),Perspective in Interactional Psychology. Plenum Press, 1978.
Lehmann, S., Mitchell, S., and Cohen, B. Environmental adaptation of the mental patient.American Journal of Community Psychology 1978,6 115–124.
Lewin, K.Field theory in social science. New York: Harper and Row, 1951.
Linn, M.W., Caffey, E.M., Jr., Klett, J., et al. Hospital vs. community (foster) care for psychiatric patients: A Veterans Administration cooperative study.Archives of General Psychiatry 1977,34 78–83.
Linn, M.W., Klett, J., and Caffey, E.M., Jr. Foster home characteristics and psychiatric patient outcome.Archives of General Psychiatry 1980,37 129–132.
Linn, M.W., Klett, J., and Caffey, E.M., Jr. Relapse of psychiatric patients in foster care.American Journal of Psychiatry 1982,139 778–783.
Lorsch, J.W., and Morse, J.J.Organizations and their members: A contingency approach. New York: Harper and Row, 1974.
Mechanic, D.Mental health and social policy. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1969.
Mechanic, D. Social structure and personal adaptation: Some neglected dimensions. In Coelho, G., Hamburg, D., and Adams, J. (Eds.),Coping and Adaptation. New York: Basic Books, 1974.
Miller, G.E. Barriers to serving the chronically mentally ill.Psychiatric Quarterly 1981,53 139–152.
Moos, R. Situational analyses of a therapeutic milieu.Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1968,73 49–61.
Moos, R. The community oriented programs environment scale.Community Mental Health Journal 1972,8 28–37.
Moos, R.Evaluating correctional and community settings. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1975.
Pasamonick, B., Scarpitti, T., and Dinitz, S.Schizophrenics in the community. New York: Appleton Century Crafts, 1967.
Paul, C.L. Chronic mental patient: Current status, future directions.Psychological Bulletin 1969,2 81–94.
Pervin, L.A. Theoretical approaches to the analysis of individual-environment interaction. In Pervin, L.A., and Lewis, M. (Eds.),Perspectives in International Psychology, Plenum Press, 1978.
Praeger, E. Evaluation in mental health: Enter the consumer.Social Work Research and Abstracts 1980,4 5–10.
Raush, H., Dittmann, A., and Taylor, T. The interpersonal behavior of children in residential treatment.Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 1960,58 9–26.
Segal, S., and Aviram, U.The mentally ill in community-based sheltered care. New York: Wiley, 1978.
Segal, S., Baumohl, J., and Moyles, E.W. Neighborhood types and community reaction to the mentally ill: A paradox of intensity.Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1980,21 345–359.
Segal, S., Everett-Dille, L., and Moyles, E.W. Congruent perceptions in the evaluation of community care facilities.Journal of Community Psychology 1979,7 60–68.
Solomon, P., Gordon, B., Davis, J.Community Services to Discharged Psychiatric Patients. Charles Thomas, 1984.
Stern, G.G.People in context. New York: Wiley, 1970.
Willems, E.P. and Halstead, L.S. An eco-behavioral approach to health status and health care. In Barker, R., and Associates (Eds.),Habitats, environments and human behavior. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1978.
Wing, J.K. From institutional to community care.Psychiatric Quarterly 1981,53 139–152.
Additional information
Claudia J. Coulton, Ph.D., is an associate professor and Thomas P. Holland, Ph.D., a professor at the School of Applied Social Sciences of Case Western Reserve University. Virginia Fitch. Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of Akron.
This study was supported by research grant No. 81–102 from the Ohio Department of Mental Health, Office of Program Evaluation and Research.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Coulton, C.J., Holland, T.P. & Fitch, V. Person-environment congruence and psychiatric patient outcome in community care homes. Administration in Mental Health 12, 71–88 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00818772
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00818772