[The limits of social reintegration after longterm psychiatric hospitalisation (author's transl)]

In cooperation with the University Clinic for Psychiatry, Innsbruck, the social psychiatric service of the regional government of South Tyrol set up a rehabilitation programm, under which 35 longterm hospitalized schizophrenic patients with an average stay in hospital of 12,9 years have been taken over by district institutions as outpatients. The object of our investigation was to study critically the working capability and the social relations of the 35 patients, the duration of postclinical catamneses is at least 3, at maximal 25 years. The degree of obtained reintegration is documented by the working situation and the number of social contacts. The obtained extent of resocialization and the proved positive social adaptation make it sensible to start a rehabilitation even with cronical patients with hospitalisation over decades: precondition is however a continual psychiatric care and control.