[Causes and consequences of frequent hospitalization among schizophrenic patients]

Schizophrenia is one of the most frequent mental diseases. The probability of being taken ill with this psychosis among the whole population is 1%. Frequent hospitalizations of schizophrenic patients prevent them from normal and effective functioning in a society.

Conducted research had an aim to isolate and define the risk factors of rehospitalization among schizophrenic patients.

In the research, the authors used their own questionnaire which provided the demographic, social and medical data. The research was based on archival case histories of schizophrenic people who were the patients of a mental hospital. The research was conducted among 65 people (27 women, 38 men) who were hospitalized more than 15 times in the schizophrenic treatment.

Psychiatric rehospitalizations in schizophrenia are conditioned not only by medical factors connected with the disease itself, but also by demographic and social factors.

1. The decisive role in rehospitalization of schizophrenia patients plays a small availability of alternative psychiatric care in the patients' dwelling place as well as the lack of regularity in the continuation on treatment after leaving the mental hospital. 2. Patients' family status, relationship with family and friends and the level of acceptance and understanding of their disease decline the risk of rehospitalization. 3. The greatest risk of rehospitalization is among people from the lowest class--lonely, young men with primary or vocational secondary education, having no permanent employment.