R.M. Jones, D.J. Allen, P.G. Wells, A. Morris
Tóm tắt
An earlier paper described how the problem behaviours of adolescents who had experienced treatment at the Young People's Unit, Macclesfield changed. This paper describes the components of that experience, the clients' and referrers' evaluation of those components and their attitudes to the treatment received. The study occurred after an average post‐discharge period of two years. A factor analysis produced two main clusters of attitudes relating to “personal growth” and “valuing of the unit experience”. Youngsters with positive attitudes towards the experience had significantly better outcomes. This finding is compared with a study of approved school boys. It is suggested that the components of the Young Peoples' Unit may be more suited to the maturational tasks of adolescence. The findings refute the justification that residential units have helped personal growth despite the continuation of problem behaviour. The study has implications for Health Service planning for disturbed adolescents and for community agencies' attitudes to the use of residential treatment.
