The impact of welfare reform as perceived by users of mental health services in New York City

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.