Release of Chronic Psychiatric Patients Into the Community

Abstract

THE PRESENT ERA of treatment for schizophrenics has been shown to be characterized by high discharge, readmission, and redischarge rates, and by a general decrease in the populations of the state hospitals. This is true for both first admissions^1,2 as well as release rates for chronic schizophrenics.^3,4 Many factors have been described as contributing to these trends. Credit has been given to changed hospital attitudes and methods.⁴ Transitional facilities in the community have played a major role and emphasis has been placed on the role of the major tranquilizers in suppressing symptoms and significantly preventing hospitalization.⁵ Also relevant is the trend encouraged by Pasamanick and his co-workers⁶ which has demonstrated the effectiveness of treating the acute schizophrenic in the community. Brown et al, point out that the outlook in early schizophrenia is more favorable than it has ever been