Psychiatric Quarterly
Volume 37, Number 2, 210-219, DOI: 10.1007/BF01562193

A study of employee attitudes toward patients in a hospital for the treatment of drug addiction

Lawrence I. Levitt, Paul C. Baganz and Paul H. Blachly

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Abstract

Thirty Fort Worth Hospital employees took the Personnel Attitude Inventory test at the time of their employment, and again three months later, to determine changes in information and attitudes about narcotic addiction and the treatment of narcotic addicts. It was found that:
1.  Employees showed a small but definite gain ininformation about narcotic addiction during the first three months of employment at this hospital.
2.  There wereno significant changes in attitude toward addicts and narcotic addiction in the first three months of employment.
3.  There was a tendency for employees who have direct contact with patients to view patients more as ldquoemotionally disturbedrdquo rather than as ldquoundesirable characters.rdquo
4.  This study suggests the need for more adequate in-service training programs and perhaps the need for closer psychological screening of applicants for employment in any institution whose mission includes the alteration of character traits.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to Dr. Sherman N. Kieffer, deputy medical officer, in charge, United States Public Health Service Hospital, Fort Worth, Texas, for his advice and counsel.

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