Abstract
This is a case study of ninety-two patients served by an outpatient service of a state psychiatric hospital in a rural area in west central New York State. The purpose was to identify variables associated with success (tenure in the community) and lack of success (number of readmissions within last year and five years and one subsequent year). Using a stepwise multiple regression analysis, age and living with others were positively correlated with success and negatively correlated with rehospitalizations within one year. Over a five-year period, affective disorders, inconsistency in taking medication, and having a hobby were correlated with multiple hospitalizations. In the year following data collection, readminissions were related only to inconsistency in taking medication. Mental health practitioners are advised to carefully follow up persons at highest risk of returning to the hospital.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aviram, U., & Segal, R. P. Exclusion of the mentally ill.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1973 29, 126–31.
Bachrach, L. L.Deinstitutionalization: An Analytic Review and Sociological Perspective. DHEW Publication No. (ADM) 76-351. Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C., 1976.
Bachrach, L. L. Overview: Model programs for chronic patientsAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 1980 137, 1023–31.
Bachrach, L. L. Deinstitutionalization: Development and theoretical perspective. In Irvin D. Rutman (Ed.),Planning for Deinstitutionalization: A Review of Principles, Methods, and Applications. Human Services Monograph Series, No. 28, September 1981, 5–22.
Bassuk, E. L., & Gerson, S. Deinstitutionalization and mental health services.Scientific American, 1978 238(2), 46–53.
Blumenthal, R., Kreisman, D., & O'Connor, P. A. Return to the family and its consequences for rehospitalization among recently discharged mental patients.Psychological Medicine (in press).
Brown, G. W., Monck, E. M., Carstairs, G. M., & Wing, J. K. The influence of family life on the course of schizophrenic illness.British Journal of Preventive Social Medicine, 1962 16, 58–68.
Byers, E. S., Cohen, S., & Harsbarger, D. D. Impact of aftercare services on recidivism of mental hospital patients.Community Health Journal, 1978, 14, 26–34.
Byers, E. S., Cohen, S. H., & Harshbarger, D. The quantity and quality of aftercare services: Relationship with recidivism in mental health patients.Canadian Journal of Behavioral Sciences. 1979 11, 11–20.
Caton, C. L. M. The new chronic patient and the system of community care.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1981 32, 475–478.
Davis, A., Dinitz, S., & Passamanick, B. The prevention of hospitalization in schizophrenia: Five years after an experimental program.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1972 42(3), 375–88.
Emptying the madhouse.Life. May 1981, 56, 70.
Goldstrom, I. D., & Manderscheid, R. W.The Chronically Mentally Ill: a Descriptive, Analysis from the Uniform Client Data Instruments. Mimeo. from Division of Biometry and Epidemiology. National Institute of Mental Health. Washington, D.C., n.d.
Gottesfeld, H.:Alternatives to Psychiatric Hospitalization. Gardiner Press, New York: 1977.
Hogarty, G. E., & Goldberg, S. L. Collaborative study group. Drug and sociotherapy in aftercare of schizophrenic patients: One year relapse rates.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1973 28, 54–64.
Hull, C., & Nie, N.SPSS Update 7–9 McGraw-Hill New York, 1981.
Kantor, L. E., Kausch, D. F., & Smith, L. L. Development of an aftercare program in a nonmetropolitan area.Community Mental Health Journal, 1978 14, 46–53.
Mechanic, D.Mental Health and Social Policy (2nd ed.). Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1980.
NIMH. Survey and Reports Branch, Division of Biometry and Epidemiology n. d. (photocopied). “Number of Resident Patients. Total Admissions. Net Releases and Deaths. State and County Mental Hospitals: United States, 1950, 1980”.
Passamanick, B., Scarpetti, F. R., & Dinitz, S.Schizophrenics in the Community. Appleton-Century. Crofts, New York. 1967.
Scheff, T.,Being Mentally Ill. Aldine Books. Chicago, IL 1967.
Segal, S. P., & Aviram, V.The Mentally Ill in Community-Eased Sheltered Care. John Wiley and Sons. New York. 1978.
Serban, G.,Adjustment of Schizophrenics in the Community. S. P. Medical and Scientific Books. New York. 1980.
Stein, L. I., & Test, M. A. (Eds.),Alternatives to Mental Hospital Treatment. Plenum Press, New York. 1978.
Talbott, J. A.The Death of the Asylum. Grune and Stratton. New York, 1978.
Vaughn, C. E., & Leff, J. P. The measurement of expressed emotion in the families of psychiatric patients.British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 1976 15, 157–65.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The author wishes to express appreciation to Dr. Anthony Mustille, Dr. George Shultis, and members of the Outpatient Services, Willard Psychiatric Center, Willard, New York, for their cooperation with this research; and to Dr. Keith Kilty, Ohio State University, for his assistance with computer programming.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sands, R.G. Correlates of success and lack of success in deinstitutionalization. Community Ment Health J 20, 223–235 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00808109
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00808109