Clinical and demographic characteristics of chronic inpatients: implication for treatment and research

Clinical and demographic data were collected on 203 state mental hospital patients whose length of stay was greater than one year. They comprised 45% of the average adult census and 37% were less than 35 years old. Males were younger and females more educated and likely to have been married at one time. The majority have diagnoses of schizophrenia or organic mental disorders; a few have personality disorders. Patients were treated with drugs but risk/benefit parameters remain to be defined. Thirty-two percent of patients have had a violent episode during the past six months. The prevalence of neurological abnormalities supports the need for specialized neurological and neuropsychological consultation and medical consultation. Most patients require the level of care provided by a hospital, while 15% are ready for discharge but have no housing available. Intermediate care facilities could provide alternatives for some patients otherwise unable to leave the hospital. The implications raised by these findings are discussed.