Nidotherapy, after (Latin: nest), is an experimental form of
psychotherapy
Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
, described as "a collaborative treatment involving the systematic assessment and modification of the environment to minimize the impact of any form of mental disorder on the individual or on society".
Etymology
The word ''nidotherapy'' is derived from the Latin ', or "
nest
A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materia ...
".
History
It was introduced for patients with severe mental illness, mainly
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
, and
personality disorders
Personality disorders (PD) are a class of mental disorders characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience, exhibited across many contexts and deviating from those accepted by the individual's culture ...
2 who had failed to respond to conventional treatments and were usually antagonistic to services. The aim of nidotherapy is not to change the person but to create a better fit between the environment (in all its forms) and the patient. As a consequence the patient may improve but this is not a direct result of treatment but because a more harmonious relationship has been created with the environment.
3 An essential part of nidotherapy is a full environmental analysis carried out from the patient's standpoint and with their full cooperation (provided they have the capacity) so that any changes recommended and implemented (the nidopathway) are understood and preferably owned by the patient instead of being imposed. Although nidotherapy has been classed as a psychotherapy, it differs in not trying to alter the patient, only the environment.
Medical and therapeutic use
Nidotherapy has been used mainly in the treatment of severe mental illness in
assertive community treatment
Assertive community treatment (ACT) is an intensive and highly integrated approach for community mental health service delivery. ACT teams serve individuals that have been diagnosed with serious and persistent forms of mental illness, predominantly ...
and
community mental health services
Center for Mental Health Services''(CMHS), also known as community mental health teams (CMHT) in the United Kingdom, support or treat people with mental disorders (mental illness or mental health difficulties) in a domiciliary setting, instead o ...
.
4-6
There is no good evidence that any form of nidotherapy is effective, as it is still experimental.
References
Notes
*
*
* Tyrer, P. ''Nidotherapy: harmonising the environment with the patient. '' . London; RCPsych Press, 2009.
*
*
*
*
* {{cite journal , vauthors = Tyrer P , year = 2003 , title = Nidotherapy in the treatment of stress , journal = Stress and Health , volume = 19 , pages = 127–128 , doi = 10.1002/smi.972
Mind–body interventions
Psychotherapies