Ward Atmosphere Scale

Measure the actual, preferred, and expected treatment environments of hospital-based psychiatric programs

Rudolf H. Moos

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As one of the Social Climate Scales, the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) has been widely used in clinical settings and program evaluation. It helps by comparing client and staff perceptions, by monitoring program changes over time, and by promoting program improvement. It also provides accurate information about perceptions of different programs and encourages staff to become involved in program planning and design. It measures: involvement, support, spontaneity, autonomy, practical orientation, personal problems orientation, anger and aggression, order and organization, program clarity, and staff control.

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Translations of this instrument are available. For a complete list of translations, along with more details on our translation policy, please visit our translations index page.

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About the Ward Atmosphere Scale

The WAS has been used widely in clinical settings and in program evaluation. It helps to describe treatment programs, to contrast patients' and staff members' views of a program, and to compare actual and preferred programs. The WAS can also be used to plan and monitor changes in treatment programs, evaluate the impact of intervention programs, and promote program improvement. It encourages staff involvement in program planning and design.

Although many applications of the WAS focus on aggregate scores and on the treatment program itself, the WAS can help clinicians and others whose primary interest is the individual, not the program as such. An individual profile reveals how a person views the treatment program and his or her place in it. Unlike most assessment procedures, which typically describe characteristics such as intelligence, personality, or interests, an individual WAS profile reveals a person's perceptions of a treatment program. Thus, as a source of unique information about the individual and his or her integration into the program, the WAS can enhance the breadth and value of client assessment."

Ward Atmosphere Scale: Bibliography

Rudolf H. Moos

A compilation of contemporary references to Ward Atmosphere Scale research (current through 2006).

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