Content area
Abstract
This study investigated the development, implementation and effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention related to understanding treatment for persons who had been involuntarily committed to an inpatient psychiatric facility. Using a standard format for psychosocial skills training, the “Understanding Hospitalization” module focused on both increasing the participants' understandings of the legal considerations involved in involuntary treatment and increasing the participants' abilities to work with their treatment team to optimize rehabilitation. Three main hypotheses were tested relating to (1) how referrals to the module were prioritized, (2) cognitive and behavioral outcomes from the module, and (3) social, cognitive, and psycholegal variables that moderated response to the module. Results indicated that treatment teams largely prioritize referrals based on psychiatric symptoms such that those were who less severe tended to be referred to the group sooner. Results also indicated that participants were able to learn the material that was presented in the module and that participation had a direct, positive impact on behavior. The latter result was qualified by an interaction, however, in which the positive effects were seen in men only. Regarding mediating or moderating variables, it was noted that positive changes in behavior were related to feeling “listened to” at the time of initial hospitalization. In addition, content-related learning was related to insight into mental disorder. The results are discussed in terms of psychosocial skills training, gender differences in persons hospitalized for severe and disabling mental metal illness, and the moderating effects of cognitive ability, gender, insight, and coercion.
