Relationship between diagnosis and disposition of patients admitted to a state psychiatric hospital

The lifetime outcome for individuals diagnosed with affective disorders is generally more favorable than for those diagnosed with a schizophrenic disorder. We determined if a similar differential outcome could be detected among 139 patients hospitalized on the admissions unit of a state psychiatric facility between 1998 and 2001, and diagnosed with a Schizophrenic, Schizoaffective or Affective Disorder. The placement of each patient on discharge was categorized as an outpatient environment, a minimum-security treatment unit, a locked ward, or a highly secure forensic facility. Patients with an affective disorder were significantly less likely than the other two groups to have a co-occurring diagnosis of substance abuse, and they performed better on the neuropsychological assessments. However, the groups did not differ in their discharge placements, or in their length of stay. These findings suggest that resolution of more acute symptomatology may be unrelated to factors associated with long-term outcome for individuals suffering from severe and persistent mental illness.