Abstract
The subjects in this study were 129 patients released within a 2-year period from a large state hospital to a three-county area. Patient information on demographic, inhospital, and posthospital variables and the extent of participation in an aftercare program was collected from existing records. The relationship between the community support system available to the patient and recidivism was determined. Three criteria of recidivism were used: readmission within 1 year following discharge, number of days in the community within 1 year following discharge, and number of days to first readmission. No single predictor was adequate in predicting hospital readmission. When the effects of confounding variables were eliminated using multiple-regression techniques, the amount of aftercare received was an important factor in predicting recidivism. However, current situational factors appeared to be more important predictors of recidivism than receipt of aftercare services.
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This article is based on a thesis submitted by Ms. Byers in partial fulfillment of the degree of master of arts. The study was supported in part by Canada Council Graduate Fellowship W74-1845 to Ms. Byers. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Joseph Panepinto and Eugene Quarrick for their efforts in facilitating data collection, and to the staff members at Valley Community Mental Health Center and Weston State Hospital who provided much necessary information. A special note of thanks to Nancy Datan for her cogent comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.
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Byers, E.S., Cohen, S. & Harshbarger, D.D. Impact of aftercare services on recidivism of mental hospital patients. Community Ment Health J 14, 26–34 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00781308
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00781308