The phenomenology of psychiatric hospitalization: the patient's experience and expectations.

Patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital are confronted by complex and, at times, conflicting models and theories about the cause and treatment of their illness. The patient's understanding and experience of this process are analyzed in this phenomenological study. The need for patients' increased understanding of the purpose and functions of hospitalization is underlined as well as the possible discrepancy between the patients' and the hospital's perspectives on treatment objectives.