[Long-term patients at the acute psychiatric hospital--a status determination and catamnestic study]

119 so-called "long-term" hospitalised patients (more than 4 months stay in the hospital) have been described by the records of illness and the AMDP documentation system. They were also examined 1 year after discharge. 92.5% of the "long-term" patients have been classified as "improved" or "well improved" when leaving the hospital. 1 year later 51.6% of those patients showed the same psychopathological state, 14.3% showed a better state and 28.6% had decreased. 5 patients had committed suicide. The family situation had improved only for 10% of the patients and 8.1% showed a decrease. The professional level of 20.9% decreased. Only 8.2% where able to improve themselves. The "typical long-term patient" suffers from a schizoaffective or affective psychosis. He is either between 18 and 29 or older then 60 years. He is unmarried, and has never or only few times been in hospital before. He leaves the hospital after long stay as "improved" or "well improved". One year later this success by a long-term indoor-treatment proved still to be stabile with 2/3 of the patients. The results are compared with those in literature and the problem of "long-term" hospitalisation is discussed.