A GROUP OF 19 RESIDENTS OF THE CALIFORNIA REHABILITATION CENTER AT CORONA WAS USED IN THE RESEARCH--9 IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 10 IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THE SUBJECTS CONSISTED OF VOLUNTEER MALE RESIDENTS WHO HAD BEEN ADJUDGED NARCOTIC OFFENDERS. THEY RANGED IN AGE FROM 20 TO 62, AND REPRESENTED 3 ETHNIC GROUPS,WHITE, MEXICAN-AMERICAN, AND BLACK.EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS WERE NOT FACTORS IN THE SELECTION PROCESS. THE MEMBERS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ATTENDED SMALL (USUALLY 10 TO 15 MEN)THERAPY SESSIONS CONDUCTED BY STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PSYCHIATRIC DEPARTMENT.THE EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS ALSO ATTENDED LARGE GROUP SESSIONS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DORMITORIES. THE LARGE GROUP SESSIONS USUALLY LASTED ABOUT ONE HOUR, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, WHILE THE SMALL THERAPY GROUPS MET ONCE A WEEK FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS.THE SMALL THERAPY GROUP WAS CONDUCTED IN A RELATIVELY UNSTRUCTURED SETTING AND MEMBERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS AND SPECIFIC PROBLEMS. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO THERAPY.BOTH GROUPS WERE ADMINISTERED THE Q-SORT TEST AND THE VLAHOS WORTHINESS-UNWORTHINESS TEST AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF A 60-DAY TIME INTERVAL DURING WHICH THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVED THE PSYCHOLOGICAL/PSYCHIATRIC INTERVENTION. THE MOST IMPORTANT FINDING OF THE STUDY IS CONSIDERED TO BE THAT SHORT-TERM PSYCHOLOGICAL/PSYCHIATRIC INTERVENTION DID NOT INDUCE ANY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE SELF-CONCEPT AND FEELINGS OF WORTHINESS-UNWORTHINESS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. LIMITATIONS IN THE STUDY ARE DISCUSSED, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE INDICATED. DATA ARE INCLUDED, AND THE APPENDED REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.(RCB)