The influence of crisis resolution treatment on employment: a retrospective register-based comparative study.

Crisis resolution treatment (CRT) is a short-term acute psychiatric home-based treatment offered as an alternative to hospitalization. The purpose of CRT is to support patient recovery by maintaining and improving competencies in relation to everyday life. Individuals with mental disorders are at increased risk of leaving the labor market, which is a central aspect of everyday life. Thus, a primary outcome of interest is whether CRT enables higher employment compared with traditional hospitalization. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of CRT compared with hospitalization in relation to attempted or committed suicides, admissions, readmissions and employment. This study utilized register-based psychiatric data. The CRT intervention, which was carried out in a psychiatric center (N = 374), was matched to traditional hospitalization treatment in a corresponding area (N = 9460). The outcomes (suicide attempts, suicides, admissions and readmissions) were replicated by applying propensity score matching (PSM) to evaluate the general treatment effect of CRT. The effectiveness of CRT on employment was estimated by applying PSM combined with a difference-in-difference estimator to account for any time trends. Receiving CRT was associated with significantly more employment after 1 year compared with hospitalization. Furthermore, after 1 year, receiving CRT was associated with fewer suicide attempts, admissions and readmissions. The associations were not significant after two years. The results suggest that CRT patients retain a higher employment rate, which could indicate better recovery. Using CRT could lead to savings in the social security system owing to higher employment rates.

Community Families: Bridging the gap between mental health services and civil society - A qualitative study from users' perspective.

BACKGROUND: Social interventions to support people with severe mental illness are important to improving the quality of life. The perspectives of users are essential in this process. This article explores users' experiences, investments and concerns of a befriending programme. MATERIAL: Focus group and individual qualitative interviews with service users. DISCUSSION: Overall, the experiences with the programme were positive, and the social interaction was highly valued. However, that the relationships were arranged and facilitated by mental health workers remained an unresolved concern even after several years. CONCLUSION: People with severe mental illness benefit from relationships despite the need of professional assistant.