title: Assessment procedures used in studies on long-stay patients: a survey of papers published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
abstract: Every article published in the British Journal of Psychiatry between 1945 and 1974 was reviewed that provided original information derived from the direct assessment of long-stay patients. The 225 articles were examined for details of assessment practice and characteristics of the patients studied. Most studies used a very restricted range of assessment methods, with rating scales, used most frequently. Many used wholly unstandardized methods, and the description of patient characteristics was inadequate. A number of improvements in assessment practice are suggested.
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008722:Methods; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom