Young Writers Society

Hey guys! I'm writing a story about a guy who is admitted into a mental hospital after someone tries to kill him, but makes it look like suicide. Needless to say, he survives. Seeings as I've never been to a mental hospital, I need to know what it's like in one, specifically:

What types of activities are there?
How do they evaluate you?
Do patients interact with one another much?
What styles of therapy do they use?

Thanks for you time. I might could fake it, but I'd still like to know more about what it's like so I'm more comfortable while I write. Thanks in advance!

What time period is it? That determines a lot.

Oh yeah! I forgot to mention that. It's modern times, or possibly the 90s. Right now I'm going with nowadays though. Thank you!

If it's a modern mental hospital and it's up to standards...

Activities focus on self-esteem boosts, but to the outside, they might seem dumb or silly. Arts and crafts, coloring books, fingernail-painting. Nothing hard or complicated, and nothing with a material that could become harmful.

Patients definitely do interact with each other. Not all of the patients in the hospital--they're divided up into wards--but there's group therapy, and patients will spend time together in the lounge sort of room. Whether or not they interact together in the lounge/recreation room is up to the patients.

Patients are also likely to have a roommate, so that's something to consider.

As for how the evaluation is done and the styles of therapy used, I don't know anything for sure. What I do know is from someone I know who spent a few stints in a mental hospital. Another thing to mention would be that they keep anything potentially harmful away. Shoelaces, sweatshirts with strings, belts, etc.

I'd suggest you look up things like the history of mental rehabilitation and psychological therapy and mental hospitals, and while the history part of it might not be of much use, eventually those records would arrive at your target era.

Thank you very much! I would like to visit one at some point in time, for research of course, but I'm not sure how that works.

Thank you! This will be very helpful information!

Hi Shinobi,

This is all simply in my experience, which seems like it might be similar to that of your protagonist.

Qualifications:
72 hours in a mental hospital, minimum security wing, on a 5150 hold.

What types of activities are there?

--Group therapy a few times a day, which occasionally involves some sort of art--poetry, stories, drawings, painting, etc.
--Food! Three meals a day, sometimes brought up by food cart, sometimes the entire wing will take a field trip to the cafeteria (followed by medication time, typically).
--Outside time...group will go outside and get fresh air for an hour or so a day.

How do they evaluate you?

Typically on a one-to-one basis with your Psychiatrist, with notes on your participation in group therapy, outside time, etc. that determines how cooperative you are and how well you're doing. Interviews with your Psychiatrist once a day are common.

Do patients interact with one another much?

It's a group setting, so yes. I'm sure there are isolated patients, but the large majority of them, assuming they aren't dangerous, co-mingle a lot.

What styles of therapy do they use?

Largely group therapy, as there are not enough Doctors employed to offer lengthy one on one sessions. You'll typically get a half hour to an hour with your Psychiatrist per day, depending on how crowded the wing is.

Hope this helps.
--D

I spent 8 days in a mental hospital once. I read through previous comments and found them pretty thorough, but some things I noticed other people didn't mention are this:
*Before you enter the mental hospital, they strip you to check if you're hiding any weapons. They don't check body cavities, but they do check underwear.
*Every night you are woken up every fifteen mintues or so to check that you are still breathing.
*Your personal belongings are searched every day, as well as your arms and legs to check that you haven't been harming yourself.
*If you caught hurting yourself, you are put on full-visual. This is when you cannot use the bathroom, change or shower without someone watching, you must sleep in front of everyone and aren't allowed to cover your head, and a staff member must be within 10 feet of you at all times
*There are these things called "restraints". If someone gets out of hand, the staff pin your hands and feet to the floor and you are put in a strait jacket, which is typically attached to a large stiff board to prevent movement. Then you are thrown in a padded room with 24 hour surveliance.
*When you come out of the strait-jacket, you are put on one-on-one. This is when a staff member must be five feet away from you at all times
*Generally, the food sucks.
*There is generally a lot of screaming. All day, everyday, 24/7. Someone is always having a breakdown.
*Boys are not allowed to touch girls.
*Boys are not allowed to eat with girls.
*Boys are not allowed to speak with girls during group therapy.
*You are also not allowed to touch any member of staff at any time.
*You are not allowed to turn off the lights in your room or bathroom at any time. This means getting used to sleeping with five or six lights shining on.
*Everyone has a room mate, but you are not allowed to enter their side of the room, or talk to them once you are sent to your room to sleep. Your roommate is always the same sex as you are.