DEMOGRAPHIC AND READMISSION DATA IN A THERAPEUTIC-COMMUNITY FOR BLACKPSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS IN SOUTH-AFRICA

Therapeutic communities have an important role in adult psychiatric ca re. Such a hospital unit is described within a Black psychiatric hospi tal in South Africa. However, owing to apartheid very few Black clinic al psychologists have been trained. Translators frequently have to be used in the therapeutic context, which is an unorthodox approach. Neve rtheless, various therapeutic groups are conducted. Demographic and cl inical data for a 3 year period are presented, showing most of the pat ients to be male, unmarried and around 30 years of age. Schizophrenic conditions were the most common diagnoses, with problems of self-care and low self-esteem predominating. Although a readmission rate of 22.1 % was noted the lack of adequate control measures in this study must b e taken into consideration.