Token programs in an acute psychiatric hospital
Abstract
The author has used individually prescribed token economies with about 5 percent of his acute psychiatric inpatients. Previous reports have dealt primarily with chronic patients. Case reviews indicated that patients chosen for these programs fell into four categories (which are illustrated by case histories): depressed complainers, apathetic and withdrawn patients, agitated psychotics, and impulsive, acting-out nonpsychotics. The author recommends techniques for patient selection, goal setting, and determination of reinforcers, and suggests that use of token programs may forestall the social breakdown syndrome in very disturbed patients.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).