Patient outcome after treatment in a community-based crisis stabilization unit

Community-based residential treatment for acute psychiatric crisis has been proposed as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization, but there is a dearth of adequate outcome studies. We examined naturalistic symptomatic and treatment outcomes in patients admitted to a residential crisis treatment program. The 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale score dropped from moderately ill (40.5 +/- SD 8.25 points) on admission to mildly ill at discharge (28.7 +/- 11.37 points, t = 10.02, P < 0.0001). Beck's Depression Inventory also improved greatly, from a significant level of depression of 29.5 +/- 11.41 points on admission, to a nearly euthymic level of 10.1 +/- 8.60 points at discharge (a difference of 19.4 +/- 12.10 points, t = 12.5, P < 0.0001). The current study is limited by the lack of a matched comparison group of hospitalized patients. Nonetheless, community-based crisis stabilization units appear to be cost-effective alternatives to inpatient hospitalization for selected patients.