A Century and a Half of Psychiatric Rehabilitation in the United States

Psychiatric rehabilitation, which is aimed at helping persons who have long-term mental illness to develop their capacities to the fullest possible extent, has been an integral part of psychiatric treatment in the U.S. since the beginnings of moral treatment in the early 19th century. The author outlines broad historical developments and prominent current modalities and models of psychiatric rehabilitation, including the introduction of family care, the day hospital, social skills training, psychoeducation, and the Fountain House model. He discusses the conceptual underpinnings of the field, such as the need to work with the healthy part of the patient and changes in views on vocational rehabilitation. Current concerns include the possibility of overselling rehabilitation and of misusing the term "recovery."