Changes in Ward Behaviour of Severely Disabled Schizophrenic Patients

The effects of institutional environment have been recognized as constituting a major influence on the picture presented by chronic schizophrenic patients. These effects, and measures to mitigate them, have been described by May (1956), Freeman et al. (1958), Barton (1959) and others, and a review of the literature was made by Wing (1962). Many of these studies have suffered from the disadvantages that the degree of the patients' disability was not directly measured, and that the majority were not followed up over a reasonable period of time. This paper examines the results of environmental modification on a ward of severely disabled chronic schizophrenic patients over a period of four years. It also attempts to assess the effects of phenothiazine treatment on the behaviour of these patients.