This large Veterans Administration cooperative study sought to identify the ward milieu characteristics of effective psychiatric programs. It was developed as a multivariable, correlational study that involved systematic observations of program characteristics and outcome effectiveness of wards as they operated in their usual manner. Seventy‐nine wards in 18 hospitals provided 11,283 patients eligible for follow‐up. Eleven treatment characteristics were found to be correlated to patients' community adjustment 3 months after discharge. These characteristics were classified into five general categories: Patient‐staff interaction, patient activities, medication practices, ward physical environment, and nursing staff rotation. The major conclusions are: (1) wards do differ in their effectiveness as measured by ratings of patient posthospital adjustment; and (2) treatment characteristics make a difference in program effectiveness as measured by patients' posthospital adjustment.
Consistencies in risk-taking behavior were investigated in a multi-method, convergent validity study of 13 risk-related measures. Fifty-six student nurses served as subjects. As with earlier studies, a general convergence was not found. However, factor analysis of the correlations indicated
two qualitatively different kinds of dimensions. In addition to five strategy traits, a single motivational trait was identified. The motivational trait was interpreted as identifying a person's general willingness to approach or avoid risk situations. Data, independent of the factor
analysis, supported the approach-avoidance construct. The results suggest (a) a redefinition of risk-taking as a personality trait; and (b) that consistencies in risk behavior do occur across a variety of situations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.