[Risk factors associated with the phenomenon of long-term care in psychiatry. A case-control study conducted in the Servizio di Igiene Mentale of Cassentino (Arezzo)].
OBJECTIVE
This work has been carried out to identify any factor associated with the long-term treatment through the analysis of all the data concerning the sociodemographic, psychosocial, anamnestic and clinical variables existing before the disease.


METHODS
The research, carried out by the Mental Health Service in Bibbiena (U.S.A. 21) is a retrospective "case-control" study using a sample of 140 patients (70 "cases" and 70 "controls") that had the first contact with the psychiatric service in the period 1973-1989. We have defined l'cases" those patients who have been treated by the Service on a continuing basis for at least 5 years without an interruption more than three months. The "controls" were patients selected at random from the same population of "cases", resident in the same districts (catchment area of Casentino), but treated for a period shorter than 5 years. "Cases" and "controls" were in pairs on the ground of sex, age (range +/-5 years) and year of admittance to the service. A doctor of the postgraduate school of psychiatry was aware of "case" or "control" state, collected all informations using a questionnaire filled in according to medical records, psychiatric admission registers and information received by the psychiatric service staff.


RESULTS
The study suggests that significance risk factors for long-term patients are:--diagnosis of schizophrenia. --a history of past suicide attempts and assaultive behavior.
Santini
S
S
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Psichiatriche, Firenze.
Caselli
L
L
Lucarelli
S
S
Trinci
A
A
Ferrara
M
M
Zappa
M
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
Fattori di rischio associati al fenomeno della lungoassistenza in psichiatria. Uno studio caso-controllo condotto nel Servizio di Igiene Mentale del Casentino (Arezzo).