Roles of transitional group home in community care for people with mental disorders: Creation of 'spaces of care

Abstract

Transitional group homes for people with mental disorders are administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government under the Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act. In this article, the author use the analytical concepts of 'spaces of care' and 'in-between spaces' to investigate the instrumental roles of these homes in community care. Results were obtained using empirical material from qualitative research conducted with staff members and residents in 'R' city Tokyo. The following were obtained: To leave psychiatric hospitals, residents move into transitional group homes because of their conditions; no choice of residence in the community was associated with deteriorated family relationship, and no tools were available to change their environment. The choice of moving to a traditional group home did not necessarily reflect residents' intentions. Nevertheless, after moving to the home, residents showed new subjectivity and attained self-worth through 'spaces of care' created with staff members and other residents through non-conditional positive interactions and empathic warmth in the meeting room in the home, and found hopes for life. Staff members evaluated transitional group homes as 'in-between' spaces adapted to government' policy, with this space regarded as transitional to living oneself in the community as a disabled' person with independence. For clients, however, these homes are important physical and social spaces that facilitate movement to different space of hope.