AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATURE AND JUSTIFICATION OF TREATMENT DECISIONS ININPATIENT SETTINGS

Mental health professionals (N = 83) employed at 2 inpatient settings participated in a study on the nature and justification of assessment and treatment decision making. Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, a psychiatric nursing service staff group (comprising registered nurse s, licensed practical nurses, and nursing assistants), social workers, nonpsychiatric physicians, physician assistants, mental health worker s/psychiatric technicians who had at least a high school diploma, reha bilitation specialists, and psychiatric administrators completed a tre atment decision questionnaire constructed by the authors. It addressed several specific content areas relating to the types of assessment pr ocedures, treatment goals, and treatment methods mental health profess ionals usually use, as well as the usual reason(s) for such procedures . Results showed that inpatient mental health professionals mostly rel ied on past success as well as logistical-practical factors in the det ermination and justification of assessment and treatment methods. Anal yses of differences among inpatient institutions and mental health pro fessions are also presented. The conclusion was that, regardless of th e specific assessment and treatment methods relied on, mental health p rofessionals did use systematic decision procedures in choosing such m ethods.