title: The assessment and progress of long-stay and elderly psychiatric patients: the predictive validity of a ward behaviour questionnaire.
abstract: This paper describes an attempt to validate a behaviour rating scale used to predict the likelihood of discharge among elderly and long-stay patients in a psychiatric hospital. The scale measured behaviour on the ward as rated by nursing staff. The scale was a sensitive predictor of discharge among those with a low score (indicating least disability), except for patients with organic psychoses. However, many patients with low scores were not discharged. In order to improve the scale's use as a screening technique additional information was considered. The significance of the findings is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004651:Employment; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012919:Social Behavior; D012934:Social Isolation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires