Discharge procedures for mentally ill people: The prespective of former psychiatric patients on their professional social network

The analysis of the perspective of mentally ill people on their social network is not complete if the professional arena is left out. This article draws on literature about social network and other forms of human interaction to support the social network concept and an idea about how the professional arena has developed and become a vital part of the network. Fifty-three former patients were interviewed to get their perspective on the professional network. Intimate relations with family and friends seemed to be a model even for contacts with professionals. A social psychological analysis of the satisfaction of the long-term mentally ill respondents with relations to home care workers and their dissatisfaction with psychiatric professionals seemed to be connected to the professionals' ability to undertake a caring relationship.