G Pastva | PubMed Health

PubMed1990

Admission histories, patterns, and subgroups of the heavy users of a state psychiatric hospital.

The present study addressed several questions regarding the admissions patterns of the "heavy" users of a state psychiatric center. What percentage of "heavy" user cohorts go on to have one or multiple post-index admissions? What are the yearly post-index admission patterns of "heavy" users? Do different indexed "heavy" user cohorts have similar yearly post-index admission patterns? Are there discernible differences among "heavy" users in the number of post-index and lifetime admissions? The results and their implications, both theoretical and practical, are discussed. Future research directions are detailed.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

How physical settings affect chronic mental patients.

A study was conducted at New York State's Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center of the effects of physical changes in the ward environment on severely regressed psychotic inpatients and on the hospital staff who treat them. Two standard wards were remodeled according to principles in the scientific literature, preferences of those involved, and attempts to facilitate treatment goals. Within 8 months of the inauguration of the redesigned setting, there were selective behavior and attitude changes in both staff (N = 27) and patients (N = 37) as compared to four matched control wards (staff N = 44; patient N = 44): (1) staff mood level was raised significantly on a standard scale; (2) staff unscheduled absence rate was cut in half; (3) staff did not report significant improvement on scales of ward atmosphere and patient functioning; (4) patients themselves reported improvement in their self-images, but not in irritability, isolation, or depression; (5) patients reported significantly more satisfaction with the ward dayroom; (6) rate of patient violence decreased almost 50%.

Adaptation, Psychological↗