Coping in the community: a review of factors influencing the lives of deinstitutionalized ex-psychiatric patients

When you first get out of hospital everything seemed rosy for a few days. Then the novelty wore off and you saw how bleak your life looked and you lost all your confidence. It doesn’t seem possible to be sufficiently prepared in the hospital for the stresses you have to withstand shortly after leaving. The final days on the ward are directed toward encouraging you to feel strong and confident enough to sever your ties with the hospital community. A realistic appraisal of what lies ahead might very well be incompatible with that goal and might critically reduce the momentum needed to move out. If you knew what you were getting into, you just wouldn’t have the courage to leave ( Bachmann 1971 ).