Mental health delivery-systems and post-treatment performance in Nigeria

A retrospective study was made, investigating the post-treatment outcomes of patients in two apparently dissimilar psychiatric therapeutic centres in Nigeria: the Aro Mental Hospital, a custodial facility, and the Aro Community Village Program, a pilot experiment in community psychiatry. A matches sample of 208 treated patients and their next of kin was focussed upon. An organizational study of the milieux was also undertaken. No significant differences exist in the range of therapies which was administered to schizophrenic patients or in the rate of re-admission in the two therapeutic milieux. A significantly greater percent of patients were treated over 3 months on first admission in the community centre than in the hospital centre (P less than 0.05).