Patients working out from a psychiatric hospital

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Occupational Therapy
• Social Psychiatry

Background:

• Outside employment, or "working out," was a feature for male psychiatric patients in a South London Hospital between 1963-1969.
• This practice involved 630 patients with 1447 admissions over the seven-year period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the characteristics of male psychiatric patients who obtained outside employment with the general male patient population and a national sample.
• To analyze the patterns and duration of "working out" spells and identify factors influencing them.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patient records from a South London Hospital (1963-1969).
• Comparison of the "working out" group (n=630) with all male admissions during the same period and the 1969 Mental Health Enquiry national sample.
• Data collected on employment spells, employers, patient demographics, diagnoses, and admission lengths.

Main Results:

• Approximately 25% of male patients under 65 (around 90 annually) participated in "working out."
• The "working out" group comprised younger patients compared to the general male admission cohort.
• Patients diagnosed with alcoholism had shorter hospital admissions and "working out" periods than those with schizophrenia. Most employers (75%) hired only one patient for a single employment spell.

Conclusions:

• "Working out" was a significant rehabilitative measure for a notable proportion of male psychiatric patients.
• Patient characteristics, such as age and diagnosis (alcoholism vs. schizophrenia), influenced the duration of hospital stays and employment periods.
• The study highlights the potential value of supported employment programs in psychiatric care.