Causal beliefs and acute psychiatric hospital admission

Causal beliefs regarding the onset of psychiatric disorder and treatment expectations for clients admitted to a psychiatric unit were examined from the points of view of the clients themselves, their relatives and staff. Results suggested that these beliefs were influenced by the admission itself. Those clients who had been admitted previously held significantly higher biological causal beliefs than those who had been admitted for the first time; as compared to staff who did not distinguish between the two groups in this way. The mean psychosocial views of relatives decreased significantly over the two-month period following an admission. Clients' and relatives' mean biological views were significantly greater than those of staff. Various correlations were found between causal beliefs and treatment expectations including one in the relatives' view between psychosocial causal beliefs and the importance assigned to family therapy. Indeed, there was a significant decrease in the family therapy rating over time given by relatives.