| Abstract: | Care of chronic psychiatric clients in community settings is a priority issue in mental health, and current thinking proposes an interactional model encompassing both individual skills and environmental demands to explain clients' adjustment to community life. Although functional skills of chronic clients are readily measurable, we lack systematic and precise methods for describing and evaluating community settings in commensurate terms. The present study used Barker's (1968) theory of behavior settings to assess 55 structured activities and other settings in a large community residence for chronically mentally ill women. Factor analysis identified dimensions of behavioral demands involving entry requirements, levels of social interaction, dress, cooperation, and competition, and also size and frequency/duration of settings. Implications for the assessment, selection, modification, and creation of community settings for the chronically mentally ill are discussed. |
