[Research in psychiatric care: a contribution to the evaluation of the extramural care of schizophrenic patients].
The conceptual approach and the structures of psychiatric service have changed, and hence the question of efficacy of measures and institutions for mental patients is of special significance. In the U.S.A. this realization has led to a regulation that compulsorily prescribes the evaluation of Government-sponsored programs (Dowell and Ciarlo, 1983). Whereas the investigation into the efficacy of individual therapeutic measures is part of standard psychiatric research (Garfield and Bergin, 1978, Clark and del Guidice, 1970), the evaluation of institutions or part systems of service has only just begun, to a major part due to the methodical difficulties arising from investigating such a claim. It is often impossible, for both ethical and practical reasons, to initiate an experimental study approach that definitely provides for random allocation of patients to various service care and monitoring parameters. Hence, we must look for alternative research strategies enabling analysis of cause and effect relationships on the basis of observation studies. In this study we attempted to improve the significance of statistical analyses by means of adequate data analysis technique, the object of analysis being a community psychiatric service; such a procedure would restrict the number of possible alternative possibilities of interpretation. We could prove for a group of schizophrenic patients that continual aftercare by aftercare clinics had a really significant effect on the rehospitalization of patients, which was considerably reduced without entailing any adverse effect on the patients in consideration of the pattern of signs and symptoms involved.
Häfner
H
H
Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Psychiatrische Klinik, Mannheim.
an der Heiden
W
W
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000639:trends; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003688:Deinstitutionalization / Q000639:trends*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
Psychiatrische Versorgungsforschung: Ein Beitrag zur Evaluation extramuraler Versorgung bei Schizophrenen.