[Treatment continuity in schizophrenic patients in ambulatory care. A 5-year follow-up]

A hundred schizophrenic patients, who were treated in hospital since 1978, referred for out-patient (OP) treatment and consecutively included in a five-year follow-up investigation, were examined regarding their consistency of OP treatment. 16% were not rehospitalised during these five years, whereas 84% were, half of them within thirteen months of hospital discharge. 92% of all the patients, discontinued or ended their OP treatment after an average of 16.2 months. Five years after the beginning of the investigation, 41% were in touch with the OP clinic. The choice of depot neuroleptics instead of short-working ones had no influence on the occurrence of further hospital admissions but shows a correlation with consistency of treatment.