520
Detailed Needs and Requirements: Psychiatric Unit
Table 520-5 indicates the major psychiatric unit operational relationships.
525.1.3
Characteristics
1. Environment
The aim of psychodiagnosis and psychotherapy is to build and restore
the patient's ability to cope with his normal life situations. To this end,
the psychiatric unit represents, in essence, a microcosm of the real
world with the essential difference that the demands made on the
patient can be controlled and necessary medical intervention applied.
Ideally, the psychiatric unit should provide a variety of behavioral
setting where patients can be exposed to human interactions and
discussions on a variety of levels appropriate to their condition and
progress. Control, on the one hand, and relative freedom of choice
and self-responsibility on the other, are the two factors which have to
be reconciled, both environmentally and administratively, in order to
generate the atmosphere of trust and security that is a useful
complement to the patient care programs.
An inherent conflict exists in the desire, on the one hand, to maintain
facility appearance and security and, the desire to encourage patient
independence and self trust on the other. Current philosophy resolves
this conflict in favor of patient self trust. Generally, facilities are
constructed and furnished in a manner, which maximize the image of
and reliance on patient responsibility.
With regard to noise control, it is necessary for confused patients to be
able to distinguish between signals and noise. Therapeutic sessions
between professional staff and patients should be without sound
transfer to other areas, and without sound disturbance from other
areas.
2. Organization
The treatment philosophy with regard to the integration of day and
outpatient programs with unit activities will affect the organization and
allocation of physical facilities.
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