The new vision in psychiatric rehabilitation.

In the minds of many people, the nightmare of institutionalization has been replaced by the horrors of deinstitutionalization, and the 'revolving door' syndrome has become a 'spinning door' syndrome. Media coverage, newspaper accounts and literature would suggest that many persons with severe psychiatric disabilities have not been successfully rehabilitated into the community. Programmes to rehabilitate psychiatric clients cannot be adequately implemented and evaluated until mental health professionals improve their understanding of the philosophy and principles of psychiatric rehabilitation. This paper looks at the similarities between physical and psychiatric disabilities and the way the boundaries may be bridged between groups of disabled persons.