A study of long-attending psychiatric day-patients and the services provided for them

Abstract

SynopsisA year's follow-up study of day-hospital long-attenders underlined doubts as to the adequacy of service provision in urban areas of England and Wales for the increasing numbers of chronic psychiatric patients living in the community. Very few of the 82 men and 53 women were married or capable of employment, and both psychiatric and physical morbidity were high; 2 young men committed suicide and 3 elderly men died within a year of discharge. Over the age of 45 men tended to be socially isolated and over the age of 60 they were also physically ill; a number probably required better residential care. Few women under 45 attended, possibly because the services offered were unacceptable.