study of long stay psychiatric in-patients: assessment of disabilities and a plea for discharge

ABSTRACT

All long-stay in-patients in a state mental hospital were identified and studied both retrospectively and cross-sectionally with several psychometric tests. Fifty-three patients were included in the study and divided into 3 main groups. A comprehensive assessment was done to all the patients, except the mentally retarded. The assessment included the mini-mental state examination, the social behavior schedule, the scale for the assessment of positive symptoms and the scale for assessment of negative symptoms. Apart from the mini-mental state examination, the patients were recommended for discharge. As regards diagnosis, schizophrenics were significantly more recommended for the in-patient hospital recommendation, while the reverse was true for the mentally retarded group who were significantly more recommended for discharge