Soteria

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'Soteria' (Greek for deliverance) was the name given to a treatment method for newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients. It was based on a philosophy that the often violent and hostile atmosphere of mental hospitals and the routine use of "toxic" drugs were counter to a healthy recovery.

Staff members at the project were encouraged to treat residents as peers and to share household chores. The program was designed to create a quiet, calming environment that respected and tolerated individual differences and autonomy. Psychotropic medication, including neuroleptics, were not completely rejected and were used in some circumstances. The Soteria project was admired by many professionals around the world who aspired to create mental health services based on a social, as opposed to a medical, model of mental health. It was also heavily criticised as irresponsible or ineffective.

Led by psychiatrist Loren Mosher, the Soteria Project closed as a clinical program in 1983 due to lack of financial support, although it became the subject of research evaluation with competing claims and analyses.

Links

[Website on Soteria] started by Loren Mosher.

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