Needs and services at an in-patient psychotherapy unit.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the impact of services provided, during an admission,on unmet needs and correlates of unmet needs.


METHODS
The study used a modified version of The Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) to assess the perceived needs of 100 patients on admission to a psychotherapy unit, Valkenberg Hospital, Cape Town. At discharge, the study documented the extent to which the patients had perceived services and interventions to be useful.


RESULTS
The mean number of needs on admission was 8.6. At discharge, help received was highest for psychiatric needs. The services most often regarded as useful were organised group activities and therapies. Regression analysis suggests that a lower level of education and the presence of borderline personality traits contribute significantly to unmet need on discharge.


CONCLUSIONS
The in-patient program is effective in meeting psychiatric needs, but less useful for addressing psycho-social needs. These needs may exacerbate psychiatric problems and should be managed more actively before, during and after an in-patient stay.
Joska
J A
JA
Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Flisher
A J
AJ