Individualized network planning for chronic psychiatric patients

Conclusions

While most individuals naturally develop networks in the course of social and vocational activities, chronic mental patients may require the assistance of a mental health professional to develop viable networks. Such assistance, which is most needed at the time of placement out of the hospital and into the community, may range from facilitating or consulting to more active network organizing.

In order to determine the level of assistance required by individual patients, clinicians must make a thorough assessment of patients' existing network resources as well as an evaluation of their interpersonal strengths, needs and deficits. Such variables as need for interpersonal distance, tolerance of stress and desire for autonomy should be considered. Attention to these variables, which differ from and must be considered in conjunction with the traditional focus on symptomatology, is essential in network planning.

An individualized approach to network development allows program planners to match different types of patients to different types of networks. In this paper we have described three varieties of social networks to accommodate the needs of a diverse patient population. Such a range of network possibilities affords mental health professionals added flexibility in providing treatment and support to chronic mental patients.