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The Therapeutic Community Whom are We Treating ?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2025

C.C.J. Angliker
C.C.J. Angliker*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal
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Summary

I have tried to expose a problem, not often mentioned, that is encountered in a Therapeutic Community whereby the psychopathology of the staff both individually or collectively, may have untoward effects in a community on account of the nature of patient-staff involvement that is required. The question of who is the patient results in confusion, anxiety and acting-out with the result that interminably lengthy meetings are required which are in excess of the already innumerable meetings that are held daily, with little or no resolution of the “official” patients' problems.

Thus, before we blindly follow the piper who is luring us to commence Therapeutic Communities everywhere, let us take a hard, long and critical look at the notes of the music, lest we lead ourselves into something for which we did not bargain.

Information

Type
II. — Criminologie Cunique
Information
International Annals of Criminology , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , 1970 , pp. 443 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © 1970 International Society for Criminology

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References

(1) Jones (M.), The Therapeutic Community, New York, Basic Books, 1953.

(2) Martin (M.), “A Practical Treatment Programme for a Mental Hospital Back Ward”, Amer. J. Psych., CVI, 10, 1950.

(3) Wing (J.), Bennett (D.H.), and Denham (J.), “The Industrial Rehabilitation of Long

(4) Sanders (R.), Social Rehabilitation of the Chronic Mental Patient, Third Interim Report of N.I.M.H., Project Grant n° OM-126, 1961.

Stay Schizophrenic Patients“, Medical Research Council Memorandum, n° 42, London, H.M.S.O., 1964.

(5) Fairweater (G.W.) (ED.), Social Psychology in Treating Mental Illness, an Experimental Approach, New York, Wiley, 1964.

(6) Crmming (E.), “Therapeutic Community” and «Milieu Therapy“ Strategies can be Distinguished”, Int. J. Psych., vol. 7, n° 4, April 1969, p. 204-208.

(7) Zeitlyn (B.B.), “The Therapeutic Community—Fact or Fantasy ?”, Brit. J. of Psych., vol. 113, n° 503, p. 1083-1086, Oct. 1967 (Reprinted in Int. J. of Psych., vol. 7, n° 4, Apr. 1969, p. 195-200).

(8) Cormier (B.M.) and Williams (P.J.), The Watcher and the Watched : A study on Deprivation of Liberty (Unpublished paper).