A comparative evaluation of two psychiatric day hospitals

Two psychiatric day hospitals were evaluated in terms of the outcomes after three months' attendance by patients. Multiple measures were made using questionnaires, naturalistic observation, and ratings at the start and end of this period, for a total of 83 patients. The results indicated that although both day hospitals were serving similar patient samples, only one was achieving significant clinical improvements; one plausible explanation for the findings was the differences between their respective programmes. The major implication of the result is the need for evaluation of both the outcome obtained by patients following attendance and the therapeutic process by which these outcomes are achieved.