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Biomedical subjects

B Willer

Publications and source records attributed to B Willer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Reinstitutionalization of mentally retarded persons successfully placed into family-care and group homes.

The characteristics of clients currently living successfully in the community but previously reinstitutionalized were compared with those of clients who had remained continuously in the community since their initial placement from an institution. Results showed that, overall, returnees could be discriminated from nonreturnees primarily by their higher level of maladaptive behavior. Separate comparisons of these two groups among family-care and group-home residents, however, did not consistently identify the same differentiating factors. Results indicate that although reinstitutionalized clients can be placed back into the community, their success in remaining there may depend upon characteristics of the setting into which they are placed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1981

A review of training programs for providers of foster family care to mentally retarded persons.

The training needs of foster care providers serving mentally retarded persons have been acknowledged for some time. This review of specific training programs demonstrates that a variety of excellent materials and strategies for meeting these needs are now available. A number of important tasks remain. First, existing training programs need to be implemented more widely. Second, new programs and training materials need to be developed to address needs not adequately met by existing programs. Finally, there is a need to conduct systematic evaluations of care provider training on a more regular basis. The results of these evaluations must then be used to guide refinements in future training efforts. This is an essential step if these programs are to be effective in meeting their goal of improving the quality of care offered to mentally retarded persons by foster family care providers.

Education↗
PubMed1981

Social-environmental factors as predictors of adjustment of deinstitutionalized mentally retarded adults.

Mentally retarded adults (N = 338) placed from five state institutions were studied 2 to 4 years, after they were placed in either foster family care or community residences. Factors of the social environment that were most predictive of individual adjustment were determined. Adjustment was defined as behavior in five areas of functioning: self-care, behavior control, community-living skills, use of community resources, and social support. Multiple regression analysis revealed that social environmental factors and other characteristics of community settings played an important role in individuals' adjustment. Important features of the social environment were similar across both settings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Medical school education in mental retardation.

Physicians have been criticized regarding their role in dealing with retarded persons and families. Reviews of medical education programs suggest that physicians are not adequately trained in this area. The present study of 64 U.S. medical schools indicates that almost half presented only minimal coverage on the topic of mental retardation and offered inadequate clinical experience. The study concludes that there are deficiencies in medical education in mental retardation as well as in all other forms of chronic disability. A possible solution to this dilemma is to require a multidisciplinary course in chronic disabilities to teach medical students about the psychological and physical problems of the disabled.

Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilitie↗
PubMed1980

Current concepts in mental retardation.

Increased concern for the rights of the handicapped has led to changes in the philosophy of treatment for the mentally retarded. Normalization means that the retarded child has the right to live in an environment that most encourages normalized behavior. This concept is often in opposition to institutionalization. The doctrine of least restrictive alternative requires treatment strategies that minimize the degree of infringement on patients' rights without jeopardizing the likelihood of positive outcomes.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1979

Length of hospitalization predicted by self assessment of social competence.

The purpose of the study was to assess the feasibility of using demographic and social competence information to predict length of stay in a psychiatric hospital. The results indicated that social competence variables were much better predictors of length of stay than demographic variables. Moreover, no combination of demographic and social competence variables led to more accurate predictors than social competence information alone.

Female↗
PubMed1978

On the relationship of client satisfaction to client characteristics and outcome of treatment.

Administered to former psychiatric patients a client satisfaction scale and two general questions about satisfaction with hospitalization. Regression analyses that used the client satisfaction measures as dependent variables indicated that the client satisfaction scale was related more to other treatment outcome measures, especially length of stay and goal attainment. The two general questions on satisfaction had correlated highly with each other, but little relation to other outcome measures. The need for a clearer definition of client satisfaction is discussed.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1977

An information system for clinical recording, administrative decision making, evaluation, and research.

An information system suitable for clinical, administrative, and research uses is described. The source document is a modified problem-oriented record in which progress on each problem can be measured by a goal attainment scaling technique during therapy, at termination, and at follow-up. The model deals with the problem of how specific the goals should be by establishing two evaluation procedures. One procedure is based on predefined long-term general goals of therapy. The other procedure deals with therapist defined short-term goals and procedures.

Decision Making↗
PubMed1977

A brief scale for predicting rehospitalization of former psychiatric patients.

Community adjustment of former psychiatric patients has been found to relate highly to the likelihood of rehospitalization and community tenure. The present study examined the ability of a community adjustment scale and various other patient characteristics to predict rehospitalization. Multiple regression analysis using rehospitalization as the dependent variable identified thirteen items including twelve from the community adjustment scale, which combined to provide a highly accurate prediction. The brief scale (13 items) which is now being cross-validated is potentially a useful tool for clinical evaluation and planning of follow-up series to former patients.

Female↗
PubMed1976

Comparison of rehospitalized and nonrehospitalized psychiatric patients on community adjustment: self-assessment guide.

The measurement of community adjustment has become an essential component of community mental health program evaluation. The primary objective of community-oriented hospital psychiatric services is to return the patient to the community as quickly as possible, and to enable the patient to maintain himself in the community in a normal manner (Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health, 1961). Attempts to evaluate hospital mental health programs have necessarily looked at measures of recidivism such as return rate and length of community tenure (Anthony et al., 1972; Rosenblatt and Mayer, 1974). For more immediate measures and qualitative assessment of community tenure, however, evaluators have relied on questionnaires that purport to measure community adaptation and social adjustment. A major reason for the use of community adjustment measures for evaluation in community-oriented hospital programs is the relative lack of predictive ability of any measures of patient adjustment while the patient is still in hospital (Ellsworth et al., 1968; Williams and Walker, 1961). It appears that all measures of success while the patient is still hospitalized, even goal-attainment measures, have little relationship to posthospital adjustment or recidivism (Willer and Miller, 1975). The present study examines the relationship of community adjustment to rehospitalization through comparison of rehospitalized and nonrehospitalized patients on a community adjustment scale.

Affect↗
PubMed1975

The reporting habits of staff in a psychiatric hospital.

This study examined the frequency, length, and content of staff's discussions and written reports about 90 hospitalized psychiatric patients. The reporting habits of staff on three different units of one hospital were compared. On the units where nursing staff were primary case managers, discussion was less likely to include mention of treatment goals or plans than where psychiatrists were case managers, or where nursing staff were case managers and patients were encouraged to attend case reviews. There was no difference between the units on recording habits, but nursing staff were consistently more dependable than psychiatrist at record-keeping.

Hospital Records↗