Am J Psychiatry 1982; 139:856-861
Copyright © 1982 by American Psychiatric Association
Effect of length of inpatient treatment for chronic schizophrenia
CL Caton
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.
