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The "chronic" mental hospital patient
Hospital & Community Psychiatry
|July 1, 1983
Summary
State hospitals are seeing a new long-stay patient population similar to pre-deinstitutionalization eras. This demographic shift may incur significant annual costs, necessitating further research into mental health services.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health Services
- Hospital Psychiatry
- Health Policy
Background:
- The role of state hospitals in mental health care is debated due to declining resident populations.
- Deinstitutionalization has shifted mental health service paradigms.
- Understanding the current state hospital population is crucial for future planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the characteristics of the contemporary state hospital patient population.
- To identify trends and potential future challenges in state hospital care.
- To inform the debate on the future role of state hospitals.
Main Methods:
- A 1979 study involving over 2,000 state hospital patients.
- Analysis of patient demographics and characteristics.
- Comparison of current long-stay patients with historical data.
Main Results:
- Identification of a new long-stay patient population within state hospitals.
- This new population shares characteristics with the pre-deinstitutionalization long-stay group.
- The new long-stay patients are younger than the previous cohort.
Conclusions:
- The emergence of a new long-stay population in state hospitals presents ongoing challenges.
- Continued hospitalization for this group could exceed $500 million annually.
- Predicting future trends requires further research into four key areas.