A FUCNTION O F EXPERIENCED CONTROL 3 15
Simply put, in response to a treatment program of a social milieu type, hospitalized patients show an increase in their autonomy, skill or whatever, to the extent that they are able to control themselves and their surroundings much more effectively. These findings provide important facts to be considered in the development of community mental health programs for rehabilitating individuals capable of assuming self-initiated, responsible behavior as opposed to individuals whose behavior is determined by factors other than themselves.
SUMMARY
The major purpose of this study is to demonstrate that experienced control is a significant personality variable related to mental health. Four sources of control were considered: (1) control from inner, organismic states, (2) control over these states, (3) control from the environment, and (4) control over the environment. It was found that Pre-discharge patients show more control over themselves and the environment than Admission patients. These findings suggested that the two sources of determiners (over as opposed to from) were indicative of self versus nonself-directed determiners and that the change in experienced control reflected an increase in self-determiners rather than a decrease in non-self-determiners.