Environmental adaptation of the mental patient

An ecological model suggests looking at the hospitalized mental patient in terms of how well the resources available in the environment fit his individual needs. This study explores the relationship between the environmental fit of patients while they are in the hospital and their adaptation to the community once they have left. Data on individual needs and evaluations of environmental resources were obtained through a series of structured interviews. Results indicate that the more a patient feels the hospital environment is a good fit, the longer he stays there. Hospital fit is positively related to fit in the community, but the latter is related only to the degree of symptomatology exhibited by the expatient in the community and not to how long he is able to remain out of the hospital. Implications of the findings and the model are discussed.