Social psychiatry and social policy for the 21st century ‐ new concepts for new needs: the ‘psychologically‐informed environment’
| Pages | 30-35 |
| Published date | 09 November 2010 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5042/mhsi.2010.0620 |
| Date | 09 November 2010 |
| Author | Robin Johnson,Rex Haigh |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Mental Health and Social Inclusion • Volume 14 Issue 4 • November 2010 © Pier Professional Ltd30
10.5042/mhsi.2010.0620
to embody the hopes for a new form of social
psychiatry, more appreciative of the importance
of relationships to individual mental health and
recovery, and also to community mental health
(Jones, 1968a). But the early promise and early
growth of therapeutic communities in the UK and
elsewhere has not been sustained, at least within
mainstream health care, and some have always
questioned whether there can be a single, ‘pure’
model (Clark, 1965; Jones, 1968b; Vaglum et al, 1982;
Social psychiatry and the
recognition of emotional
intelligence
The idea of a therapeutic community (TC) – of a
place where people could say that living there is
the therapy – has a long and honourable history,
stretching back to the early Quaker community, the
York Retreat (Stewart, 1992), and beyond. In the
immediate years following the Second World War,
the ideas and ideals of the TC seemed to many
Social psychiatry and social
policy for the 21st century
– new concepts for new
needs: the ‘psychologically-
informed environment’
SOCIAL POLICY
Robin Johnson
Consultant, RJA Consultancy, UK
Rex Haigh
Consultant Psychotherapist, UK
Abstract
Although the idea of a therapeutic community (TC) has lost none of its dynamism, there are many modern-
day environments in which the original TC model has been unable to make headway. In recent years, new
ideas have been emerging for the development of institutions and services that can be adapted to a wide range
of psychological needs and settings, such as homelessness hostels and refuges. The psychologically-informed
environment (PIE) arises from the scope for reflective practice, leading to changes in day-to-day working –
including a more planned variant for high secure services. The PIE approach seems to offer greater flexibility
in scope than the TC model. Nevertheless, such new approaches may yet need a clear values base; and the
next article in this series will explore new ideas for the creation of ‘enabling environments’ in a still wider
range of settings.
Key words
Therapeutic community; Psychologically-informed environment; Social inclusion; Mental health
To continue reading
Request your trial