[The dispensary care of mental diseases with a long-term evolution]

It is the authors belief that mental diseases follow-up is essential for the outpatient care and a requisite to inpatient care. The 5-year follow up of group of patients with longstanding mental diseases is analysed from the viewpoint of nosological groups prevalence, age and sex distribution, family and professional integration and type of care. The study in dynamics of the incidence and prevalence shows an increase of followed up cases and underlines the usefulness of follow up actions in estimating both the morbidity and the possibilities of prophylactic and curative actions.