In an adult outpatient department of a hospital serving a severely disadvantaged population, coffee groups have become an effective means of treating chronic, treatment-resistant patients and reinforcing their compliance with medication regimens. In dealing with the patients, many of whom have problems communicating needs and information, the therapists have developed such approaches as using concrete language, recognizing that many patients use medication transactions to reflect dissatisfaction with changes in group routine, anticipating common problems related to medication, and at times accepting patients' idiosyncratic chemotherapeutic preferences. Important elements of the coffee groups are the caring attitude of the co-therapists, a nonpressured atmosphere, and the presence of a familiar peer group.

Adult↗

PubMed1981

Using a PRN list to see appointment-breakers on a walk-in basis.

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Adult↗

PubMed1980

"Coffee groups": a nine-year follow-up study.

The authors present a 9-year follow-up study of 76 chronically ill psychiatric patients treated in "coffee groups," a maintenance treatment approach first described in a pilot study in 1976. Their findings show a significant drop in rehospitalization rates for chronic schizophrenic patients after they had started to attend the group, despite irregular patterns of participation and attendance. There was a leveling off of measurable change in psychosocial functioning in contrast to earlier optimistic reports. The coffee group formula has proved to be economical and is viable for a wide chronic diagnostic range and for a variety of therapists' styles.

Adult↗