Who gets aftercare? A study of patients discharged from state hospitals in Kentucky

A cohort of 579 patients discharged from state mental hospitals in Kentucky during a one-year period was studied to determine the amount and nature of after-care services provided to them. A total of 319 received some form of attercare from community mental health centers during the two to three years after discharge. The majority received at least one service that could be classified as individual therapy or chemotherapy, about one-third received evaluation or rehabilitation services, and only a few had family interviews or group therapy. The majority of those receiving services had contact with psychiatrists, nurses, or other mental health professionals; less than half had contact with social workers or psychologists. In general the aftercare services tended to be medically oriented, brief, and limited in number. They were provided to a majority of the patients within their first month in the community.