title: Patients' and caregivers' initial assessments of day-hospital treatment and course of symptoms.
abstract: During the first few days after their admission to a day-hospital, 30 patients with schizophrenic or schizoaffective disorders, their clinical case managers, and the therapeutic team in the day-hospital globally assessed the beginning treatment on visual analog scales (VASs). We investigated whether these assessments predicted observer ratings (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale [BPRS]) and self-ratings of psychopathology during treatment and at discharge. Positive assessments by patients and caregivers were correlated with lower BPRS scores later on in the course of treatment; only the patients' assessments were good predictors of self-rated outcome. Initial global assessments of treatment might indicate qualities of the therapeutic relationship as a relevant nonspecific factor in complex day-hospital treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychiatry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Priebe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gruyters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001604:Berlin; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014505:Urban Population