Citation

Hillbrand M, Young JL. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 2008; 36(1): 90-94.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Connecticut Valley Hospital, Box 351, Middletown, CT 06457, USA. marc.hillbrand@po.state.ct.us

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Publisher American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

18354129

Abstract

The importance of hope in the treatment of physical ills is well documented. Less is known about its role in the treatment of mental illness. Hope, the expectation of achieving a goal, figures prominently among the curative influences that help forensic patients recover. The cognitive processes that fuel violence and bring patients into our care often result in the loss of hope. Successful treatment requires the restoration and fueling of hope as patients progress through the phases of recovery. We review the extant literature on hope as it relates to clinical concerns, including the genesis of violence, mood, adjustment to physical illness, spirituality, forensic assessment and treatment, staff morale, and patient-centered care.

Language: en