Aftercare for psychiatric patients: does it prevent rehospitalization?

Focusing on a sample of 421 patients who made from one to 65 visits to an aftercare clinic, the authors replicated and extended and investigation of the effectiveness of psychiatric aftercare for patients discharged from hospital settings. A total of 167 of the patients were rehospitalized at least once during the follow-up period. The findings of both studies suggest that there is a significant relationship between an increasing number of aftercare visits and a reduced liklihood of rehospitalization, especially among the more chronic patients. The authors emphasize the need for further studies in which patients are interviewed directly about their perceptions of aftercare.