[Social adjustment and psychiatric re-admission: a study using a self-rating scale]

The paper describes the results of a study on the relationship between the degree of social adjustment and re-admission of discharged psychiatric patients using the Italian version of the SAG (Self Assessment Guide). The validity of such a scale has been described in previous works. In this study, the test-retest assessment has proved the reliability of the scale. The test was administered to a sample of 51 patients during the first week of hospitalization, 26 of whom were followed up three months after discharge. A statistically significant improvement was observed, on the SAG score obtained during the follow-up, in patients (n = 16) who were not admitted to hospital in the 12 month period following discharge. This was unlike the case of those who required a new admission. The improvement concerned mainly the total score, the affectivity, the interpersonal functioning and aggressivity scales.