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Aim. To study the therapeutic relationship in community mental health care, in terms of patients' socioeconomic status and their experience of interpersonal bonds. Method. Research study included patients treated in community mental health care (N=64) who met the criteria for psychosis, and the professionals who managed their treatment. Patients' psychotic symptoms were measured with the use of the PANSS scale, whereas the STAR scale was used to assess the therapeutic relationship, in separate models for evaluating patients and clinicians. The patients' socioeconomic data was collected, as was information about the therapists. results. Patients' experience of bonds, understood as a current or past marriage or parenthood, correlated positively with their views on the therapeutic relationship. Patients assessed therapeutic relationships more favourably than their therapists. Therapists assessed the therapeutic relationship in the "positive clinician input" dimension more favourably than did financially independent patients. Conclusions. Patients' experience of interpersonal bonds enhances their chances of establishing a successful therapeutic relationship and it also contributes to establishing a good therapeutic relationship in the opinion of therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. A constant effort is observed all over the world to displace treatment from mental hospitals and other long stay institutions to a community form of care. Community care is poorly developed in Poland. This induces surveys estimating the effectiveness of community care recently formed. Aim. The aim was to estimate the efficacy of a new community model of treatment of patients with schizophrenia. It was expected that community care decreases hospitalizations and enables better functioning in the environment, which in turn improves their quality of life. Method. The study was carried out on 37 patients and 25 caregivers assessed at the referral to the community care and after one year in care. The study uses PANSS, Birchwood Scale and the Quality of Life Scale. Polish questionnaires: Family Burden Questionnaire and Questionnaire of Burdensome Behaviour were used to measure family burden in the patients' and their relatives' views. The focus group was used to evaluate treatment satisfaction. Cost assessment was made using the data form Administrative Departure of the institution. Results. Improvement in psychic state, contacts with family and satisfaction from life were achieved. Reduction in destructive behaviours was noted. Improvement occurred in withdrawal and undertaking social roles. Reduction in costs occurred due to a major decrease in the length of hospitalisations. Conclusions. Community care enables social inclusion through improving social functioning and subjective quality of life and sense of freedom. The community model is cost effective as a result of reduction of hospitalisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]