[Communal housing for the mentally ill. A supplement or an alternative to the existing psychiatric institutions]

In 1980-1981, two communal housing schemes for young psychiatric patients in the Municipality of Copenhagen were established. The object was to offer these persons a home for a limited period (maximum three years). The object of this investigation is to describe the patients who lived in these communal homes during the period 1.3.1980-28.2.1989, to investigate the duration of hospitalization in psychiatric departments two years before and two years after they stay in the communal home and, on the basis of the experience gained, to discuss the possibilities and limitations of this form of housing. The investigation is retrospective and based on hospital case records. It includes 56 persons: 37 men and 19 women. The average age was 28.7 years. 92% of the residents had a chronic psychiatric disease. They had received psychiatric treatment early and had long histories with prolonged periods of hospitalization. The average duration of hospitalization was 17 months. At the conclusion of the investigation, 33 residents had moved out two or more years ago. The average duration of hospitalization for this group was reduced to approximately 1/3 of the duration of hospitalization prior to the stay in the communal home. The structure outlined here may be employed for a number of the chronic psychiatric patients but a communal psychiatric offer should include a greater spectrum of possibilities for chronic patients to cover their requirements. Establishing an offer of this type demands multidisciplinary cooperation.