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.
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