Effectiveness and efficiency of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for inpatients: 4-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
The goals of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of manualized cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) integrated into routine care on a psychiatric inpatient unit and to compare the impact of the intervention on patients with the following diagnoses: schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, or personality disorders. The results presented here expand on those presented in a previous publication by including 2 more years of data and additional analyses concerning diagnosis and economic outcomes.


METHODS
A pre-post design was used to measure voluntary and compulsory readmissions, ward atmosphere, patient satisfaction, mean length of stay, and cost-income in the year before CBGT was introduced (2001) compared with the next 4 years.


RESULTS
In the years 2001-2005, percentage of total readmissions declined from 38% to 24% (p < 0.02); of those readmissions, 17% were compulsory in 2001 compared with 0 in 2005 (p < 0.02). A progressive improvement in ward atmosphere was observed from baseline to the following 4 years (p < 0.001). There was also statistically significant improvement in patient satisfaction compared with baseline, mainly observed during the first 2 years of the intervention (p < 0.001). The reduction in readmissions was statistically significant only for patients with schizophrenia (p < 0.001) and bipolar disorder (p < 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
These results are promising and indicate that CBGT may contribute added benefit to treatment on an inpatient psychiatric ward.
Veltro
Franco
F
Dipartimento di Salute Mentale, ASReM, Zona 3 Centro Molise di Campobasso, Campobasso, Italy. franco.veltro1@virgilio.it
Vendittelli
Nicola
N
Oricchio
Ines
I
Addona
Franco
F
Avino
Camillo
C
Figliolia
Gianluca
G
Morosini
Pierluigi
P
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*