Discuss the models of care/service evident in the film, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Discuss the models of care/service evident in the film, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

I think the main model of care in that appears in this film is the Medical Model of Disability. The men in the ward are made fully aware of their mental illness, so much so that they all feel that they need to be in the mental institution and are not ready to function on their own. This idea is emphasised by the way Nurse Ratched and her staff treat them. They are put through repetitive and mind numbing daily routines in an attempt to suppress them and they are given little to no opportunities to make even small decisions for themselves.
The men themselves in no way help each other with their attitudes. They regularly challenge each other, call each other crazy and cause one another to become severely frustrated and angry. (eg. During Nurse Ratched’s therapy meetings)
From an occupational perspective there is some attempt made at giving them a healthy lifestyle. They go swimming and are given time outside to play games such as basketball. However most of these activities are only suitable for some of the men and a lot of the time they appear to be just left to their own devices.
Those referred to as “the chronics” don’t really have to mental capacity to participate in these activities and as a result they are mostly left to their own devices and allowed to wander around the wards or the outside area. Basically they are supervised and kept out of harm’s way but receive little to no proper human interaction.
One of the main forms of therapy, the meetings ran by Nurse Ratched, are a perfect example of how the medical model is portrayed in this situation. In the contrary to Nurse Ratched’s statement that the business of these meetings are “therapy” the only thing she seems to achieve from these meetings is antagonising and intimidating them in front of everybody else, leading to anxiety and arguments until they become upset.
This method also emphasises what is “wrong” with the men but never makes any attempt at intervention. Her approach is forceful and...

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