Changes in Ward Behaviour of Severely Disabled Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

An account is given of a ward of severely disabled chronic schizophrenic patients and the changes in their ward behavior over a period of 4 years. A stimulating environment combined with phenothiazine medication produced marked improvement in the social behavior of severely disabled schizophrenic patients. Withdrawal of phenothiazine treatment was accompanied by an increase in various abnormalities of behavior, particularly behavior said to be independent of social environment (e.g. laughing and talking in response to hallucinations). This increase did not reach the level measured in the initial assessment.