The effects of brief hospitalization upon the psychiatric patient's household

This paper describes the social results of a randomized controlled trial of brief versus standard hospitalization for acute psychiatric inpatients. All the data reported were obtained through the use of a new semi-structured standardized interview schedule, The Patient Behaviour Assessment Schedule (PBAS). Overall, there were no significant differences between groups in the extent of Objective Burden and Subjective Distress experienced by the informant's household. The groups were differentiated, however, on a number of individual items. At the 2-week evaluation Brief Care informants expressed more distress than Standard Care informants arising out of the patient's slowness, but were less distressed by the effect of the patient's behaviour on their work performance. At the follow-up interview Standard Care informants were more affected in their social life and pursuit of leisure activities, while expressing less distress as a result of the patient's overdependence. The sensitivity of the PBAS Distress Scales is demonstrated by comparing the informant's differential emotional response to role and nonrole aspects of the patient's behaviour at different points in time.