Social Class and Psychiatric Treatment

Initial Contact and Admission of Persons Requesting Treatment for Alcohol Problems

“…These results are a marked contradiction to other studies reporting that persons in lower social class levels tend to not show or follow through with treatment (HoIIingshead and Redlick, 1958;Brill and Storrow, 1960;and Lief and Lief, 1961). The correlations between the show, no-show variable and those variables which traditionally indicate social class level are virtually zero (minority cultural group, education, income, etc.).…”

Factors that contribute to posttherapy persistence of therapeutic change

“…Indeed, socioeconomic class was the most potent predictor of positive change in status overall. Perhaps previous research has yielded inconclusive results about socioeconomic class because the focus typically has been on the treatment and not the posttherapy period (Brill & Storrow, 1960;Coles, Branch, & Allison, 1962;Katz, Lorr, & Rubenstein, 1958;Lorion, 1978). The current results suggest that, relative to other variables, socioeconomic status may become a more powerful predictor of outcome from the point that psychotherapy is terminated formally.…”

Preparatory techniques in initiating expressive psychotherapy with lower-class, unsophisticated patients.

“…Other factors, such as source of referral, age and sex of the patient, the diagnosis, or variety of intake interviewer, were not significantly related to the patient's experience at the clinic. Similarly, Brill and Storrow (1960) found a significant relationship between social class and acceptance for treatment in a clinic in which the cost of treatment could not be considered a contributing variable, but failed to confirm the relationship observed by Schaffer and Myers between social class and the training and experience of the therapist assigned.…”