[Characteristics of ex-psychiatric patients.]

In this article the author takes account of a study on the characteristics of (former psychiatric patients. The group in question consists of 44 former patients with a length of hospital stay varying from 5 to 31 years and more. The author hypothesizes that the longer his or her period of institutionalization, the less chance the individual has to remain in society after discharge. The following sub-hypothesis is also formulated: the diagnosis at the point of discharge will indicate a cure of the patient's condition. These hypotheses are studied in the light of the following Information: age at admission and at discharge, place of birth, social and/ or family isolation, actual mental state, diagnosis at admission and at discharge. It appears quite difficult to determine what enables former psychiatric patients to succeed in finding a socially-acceptable modus vivendi. The hypotheses are not confirmed by study and the author wonders: who is the former psychiatric patient ?