Brief hospitalization policies have accompanied the
deinstitutionalization movement, yet length of inpatient stay in facilities
under state and local administration remains quite varied. A 1-year study
of 119 chronic schizophrenic patients hospitalization in New York City
between 1977 and 1979 revealed that length of inpatient stay bore no
relationship to subsequent hospitalization, treatment compliance, or
clinical or social functioning in the community. Rather, a patient's
postdischarge experiences with treatment and significant others in the
community were critical in determining subsequent use of inpatient
services. This finding points to the need for wider application of briefer
hospitalization policies for the dischargeable chronic schizophrenic
patient.Abstract Teaser