Persistent psychotic symptoms at discharge in patients with schizophrenia

A sample of patients with DSM-III schizophrenia was examined and rated using Andreasen's Schedule for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and the Schedule for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), soon after admission and in the week prior to discharge. A high proportion of the sample had persistent positive and negative symptoms at discharge. This finding is discussed in relation to the service demands placed on the hospital, changing government policies concerning hospital and community care, and the possible consequences of early discharge policies in the absence of adequate community services.