ABSTRACT
Schizophrenia has a high rate of relapse. Treatment compliance is challenging in the long-term management of schizophrenia. The outcomes of previous studies on Community Psychiatry Service - Home Visit Treatment [CPS-HVT] are inconclusive. To evaluate the effectiveness of CPS-HVT in [a] reducing the number of admissions and [b] duration of admissions of chronic schizophrenic patients. A retrospective analysis by auditing files of all cases of adult schizophrenic patients in Bahrain who underwent CPS-HVT treatment. A total of 10 years follow-up [5 years of outpatient treatment before the referral to the community service and 5 years follow-up in the community service after the referral] was carried out. The number of admissions and the duration of admissions were compared. Of the total number of 232 patients 51 [22%] fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The sum total of 77 admissions during 5 years before the referral to the CPS-HVT was 2577 days [50.5 d/patient]. After the referral to the CPS-HVT the sum total of 48 admissions was 1383 days [27.1 d/patient], and no patient had more than 3 admissions. The number of non-hospitalized patients doubled during the 5 years follow-up in the CPS-HVT [n=13; 4 males vs. n=27; 10 males]. The proportion of males was 47.1% [n=24]. CPS-HVT is effective and superior to standard outpatient treatment of chronic schizophrenic patients in reducing the number and duration of admissions, in Bahrain. Future studies should evaluate a wide range of other outcomes, including the cost effectiveness of CPS-HVT. Considering the massive impact of community-based care on patients, caregivers, clinicians and the community at large, such studies are urgently needed