Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147:1596-1601
Copyright © 1990 by American Psychiatric Association
Predictions about new long-stay patients: were they valid?
RL Okin, D Pearsall and T Athearn
Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Boston.
During 1979-1989, the long-stay population in Massachusetts state
psychiatric hospitals declined and then moderately increased, although to
far below its initial 1979 level. The increase toward the end of the period
was due to a growing number of patients admitted, an increase in the
proportion of these new patients who were retained for 1 year or longer,
and a decrease in discharges of long-stay patients, especially those
hospitalized for 20 or more years. The last factor was particularly
important and was due to the fact that the number of these very-long-stay
patients had become so small by 1983 that the effect of their continued
discharge on the total long-stay population was minimal. The authors point
out that more community services, not more hospital beds, may be needed.
They recommend that states assess the clinical needs of the long-stay
population before determining how to allocate their resources to address
this phenomenon.
