Need-adapted treatment of schizophrenia: a five-year follow-up study from the Turku project

The five-year follow-up results of 28 first-contact schizophrenic patients are compared with an older patient series of 53 patients from the same district. The treatment of the new series followed the principles of the need-adapted model. The emphasis was on immediate initial crisis-oriented family interventions. The treatment of the old series followed psychodynamic principles with an emphasis on individual and milieu therapy. The patients in the new group manage better with half the number of hospital days and less outpatient treatment. The differences are most clear in men. The crisis orientation caused failure in sustaining longer treatment relationships. This was harmful for patients and families with a more chronic development. In future, better continuity of treatment must be emphasized.