Normative needs for community-based psychiatric care of patients with schizophrenia in different residential settings

This study aims to assess the extent of needs for mental health care of patients with schizophrenia living in different residential settings and to evaluate the quality of care in these types of complementary services recently established in the East German region of Dresden. Survey data from the first wave of a longitudinal study of five patient subgroups (N=244) living in (1) a psychiatric nursing home, (2) social therapeutic hostels, (3) sheltered community residential care, (4) at home in the family and (5) alone in one's own home are reported. Normative individual needs for care were assessed using the needs for care assessment (NCA). The patient groups show clear differences in the extent of needs for care, especially in the social NCA section. Patients in the psychiatric nursing home and in the social therapeutic hostels exhibit the highest numbers of areas of need. Positive psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms and neuroleptic side effects are the most prominent clinical areas of need in all subgroups. Patients are most frequently socially disabled in terms of managing household affairs, recreational activities and household chores. Deficits in the need status could be found in the NCA areas of 'negative symptoms,' 'recreational activities,' and 'communication.' The basic needs for mental health care of patients with schizophrenia are met in the established sheltered residential settings. Current deficiencies in providing psychological and educational interventions focusing on coping strategies and social skills training should be minimised in order to decrease the identified deficits in the need status.