The ideas and proposals of the patients in psychosis services and their relatives about token economy system

This study is done as a descriptive to determine the ideas and proposals of the patients and their relatives for to estimate the affectness and the failing points of the Token Economy system used in the Department of Psychology of Medical Faculty of Ankara University. The sample of this study was 70 patients, who layed in the psychosis services of the hospital between1996-2006, and 60 relatives, who gave primary care. A questionnaire form is used for collecting the data and the questionnaires are carried out by face-to-face meeting method. Percentage Chi-square and Fischer?s absolute Chi-square tests are used for the ststistical evaluation of the data. At the end of the study it was found that most of the patients had schizophrenia and they were ill more than 10 years, that the token economy system was introduced by the internal doctor, that the system was not explained to 32,9% of the patients and 56,7% of their relatives and the System was thought to be coercive by the group of patients. It is also designated that the ratio of the patients, who think that the System helps to regulate their daily lives and makes them have their own responsibities, was lower than the relatives of the patients. Both patients and their relatives imply that the most important behaviours which the patients can?t do at home were having social activities, fulfilling their responsibilities and to take their medicines regularly. The reason why they couldn?t continue their behaviours at home was that the unsuitability of the ambiance and to have no controller. It suggested by the patients for the affectness of the Token Economy System that the System should be less pressing and coercive, that there should be a corporation between doctors and patients, there should be token plan done according to the patient?s situation and the relatives should take care of the patients at home.It is suggested as a result that with the use of Token Economy System with other psychiatric rehabilitation programmes, which increase the congruity of the patients to the treatment and their social skills, and there can be some ambiances created, where patients, their relatives, who has tha role of of care giving, and the doctors can share their experiences about the Token Economy System.