Abstract
The aim of the study is to describe and explain changes in the self-concept at various stages during psychiatric rehabilitation. Viewing rehabilitation as a process of resocialisation and using self theories developed from the symbolic interactionist tradition, two groups of hypotheses are developed. The first concerns rehabilitees' expected rejection of the patient-role and acquisition of normal social roles. Concomitant changes in attitudes to self, self-esteem and identification with (other) psychiatric patients are hypothesised, with social milieu as an important variable. The second group of hypotheses concerns the effect on rehabilitees' self-concepts of the attitudes towards them held by close relatives. It is suggested that close relatives will find it hard to change their attitudes to rehabilitees (away from the negative stereotype of the psychiatric patient) and that rehabilitees will deal with the consequent discrepancy by reappraising either the feedback from close relatives or the significance of their close relatives. An associated study provided an 'opportunist' sample of relatively long-stay and often chronically disabled rehabilitees whose current stage in rehabilitation could be defined by their place of residence. A secondary sample of close relatives was obtained from amongst the close relatives of these rehabilitees. During interview rehabilitees completed various self-report measures of the self-concept: semantic differential scales, 'Who-Am-I?' schedule and attitude scales; close relatives completed semantic differential scales. The above measures provide a comprehensive body of data on the self- concept in psychiatric rehabilitation which largely supports the hypotheses. In particular the results confirm the importance for rehabilitees' self-concepts of the specific social milieu in which they live (i.e. the type of ward for those in hospital; whether or not they live with parents for those in the community). This contrasts with the attitudes of close relatives towards rehabilitees, which appear to be largely determined by whether or not rehabilitees are still in hospital. The findings enable a range of recommendations to be made regarding , rehabilitation practice, especially in the area of individual treatment plans.