PS 1997; 48:1589-1591
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
The impact of welfare reform as perceived by users of mental health services in New York City
CI Cohen
State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn 11203, USA.
A total of 118 psychiatric outpatients, 43 percent of whom were foreign
born, completed a 12-item questionnaire about the impact of the new federal
welfare legislation. A majority of respondents were worried about the new
law and believed that it would worsen their mental symptoms, their
well-being, and the quality of life in their neighborhood. Nearly half felt
that the law had already affected their mental symptoms. Foreign-born
patients were significantly more worried about the law than U.S.-born
patients. The results suggest that organized psychiatry and individual
psychiatrists should become more involved in activities to diminish the
impact of the welfare legislation on patients and their families.
