[Frequent use of psychiatric inpatient services analysed from three different perspectives]

Frequent utilization of psychiatric inpatient care was mainly analysed by quantitative methods. The present study combines quantitative with qualitative methods and discusses the results obtained from these different perspectives.

The quantitative analysis is based on data from 184 schizophrenia patients, who were observed over a period of 2(1/2) years. Twenty of the identified frequent users and 6 employees of psychiatric facilities were interviewed by means of qualitative methods as to the causes of frequent use of inpatient care.

Predictors of frequent use identified in the quantitative study were found again in the qualitative analysis. Opportunities for alternative care for frequent users suggested by the staff of psychiatric facilities include social treatment in the community, day structuring activities and sheltered work. Patients consider work, compliance securing and better contact with office based psychiatrists to be important factors.

Patients and staff give different priorities to their suggestions for interventions, but are, in most cases, of the opinion, that part of hospital admissions of frequent users could be avoidable by means of alternative services.