MANAGEMENT OF SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDERS IN A MENTAL-ILLNESS UNIT

Few speech and language therapists work with psychiatric patients. Thi s study investigates how the specific communication problems of this p opulation are addressed by care staff Following a survey to determine the prevalence of speech and language problems in a psychiatric popula tion subjects assessed as having moderate or severe difficulties were selected for further study in order to investigate how they were curre ntly being managed by the people responsible for their care. Key worke rs or charge nurses were interviewed and ward and department nursing c are plans were examined for mentions of speech and language problems, for aims in connection with these problems and for strategies to achie ve these aims. Speech and language problems were not mentioned in 40% of the nursing care plans inspected. Where speech and language problem s were mentioned there were aims in connection with half of these and strategies to achieve the aims in only 10% of the sample. The reasons for failure to mention speech and language in nursing care plans and f or discrepancies between the results of speech and language therapy as sessment and assessments of ward and depart ment staff are discussed.