[Social psychiatric therapeutic possibilities for long-term psychiatric patients]

The Vesterbro project in a small community psychiatric unit in Vesterbro in Copenhagen where the therapeutic offers are directed towards long-term and chronic psychiatric patients in the district. The article mentions the social psychiatric basis of the Vesterbro project and the results of follow-up examinations of the patients for the period 1979-1984 are presented. This investigation is arranged as a retrospective investigation and is carried out with interviews with a total of 60 patients. The conditions of mental health and of the individual patients their social circumstances at the time of interview in 1984 are compared with corresponding parameters at the time the patient was referred to the Vesterbro project. The results of the investigation confirm, not unexpectedly, that the patients in this project, who belong to the most severely affected clientele of institutional psychiatry, live mostly alone (86%) with poor contact with their surroundings. They are distributed corresponding to the general population as regards education, housing, material and economy and it is calculated that they will be admitted to psychiatric hospitals for an average of five weeks per annum. The Vesterbro project attempts to improve the patients' general conditions of life and strengthen their contact with their surroundings and their social network. It is apparent from the results of the investigation that the majority had improved material conditions following contact with the Vesterbro project but that no direct effect is registered concerning the work on the social network made by the project. The total contribution has, however, reduced the number of bed-days employed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)