Residential program for long‐term hospitalized persons with mental illness in Japan: Randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Research on the merits of long-term group residences is inconclusive. The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the effects of supported group residence on the symptoms, social function, quality of life, general health quality, and the medical/psychiatric cost in Japan of a large number of psychiatric beds and long average length of stay. Patients were assessed every 6 months for 2 years using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Katz Adjustment Scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHO-QOL) and General Health Questionnaire 12-item version. Patients discharged to the supported group residence (SGR) significantly improved with regard to positive symptoms, the level of socially expected activities and free-time activities. The QOL physical domain of the inpatients was significantly more deteriorated compared to the SGR group. The total psychiatric/medical cost of the SGR group was approximately one-third that of the inpatient group, while the cost of the SGR to treat physical comorbidity was much higher. The present findings indicate that SGR has advantages for mental and social function but not for physical health. A major limitation of the present study was the high mean age (>60 years) of the subjects who had been hospitalized for a long period (mean, 24 years).

Continuing Accommodation and Support Needs of Long-Term Patients with Severe Mental Illness in the Era of Community Care

“…Residents in the community were provided with access to social skills training and rehabilitation group activities including occupational therapy on-site as well as at a day care program [47]. Chan et al (2007) noted that there was an overall trend towards improvement in both positive and negative symptoms amongst the residents over a two-year period [47]. Consistent with other studies, improvement over this time was noted in social functioning and QoL [47].…”

“…Chan et al (2007) reported on the transition of former long-stay patients to a purpose-built supported group residence in Kochi, Japan, with a capacity to house up to 20 residents [47]. Residents in the community were provided with access to social skills training and rehabilitation group activities including occupational therapy on-site as well as at a day care program [47]. Chan et al (2007) noted that there was an overall trend towards improvement in both positive and negative symptoms amongst the residents over a two-year period [47].…”

“…Reform in Japan has been occurring gradually since the 1990s as a result of the emphasis now being placed on community mental health care services, and the creation of alternatives to long-stay wards, including community group homes [43,47]. Chan et al (2007) reported on the transition of former long-stay patients to a purpose-built supported group residence in Kochi, Japan, with a capacity to house up to 20 residents [47]. Residents in the community were provided with access to social skills training and rehabilitation group activities including occupational therapy on-site as well as at a day care program [47].…”

Measurement limit of quality-of-life questionnaires in psychiatric settings

“…In the psychiatry population, several studies have examined the psychometric properties of QOL questionnaires, but these studies primarily include outpatients [4,26,27] or less disabled inpatients [28][29][30], and thus only examine those with a relatively narrow spectrum of symptoms, functional status, and cognitive impairment. An exception is the study that examined long-stay patients in a psychiatric hospital and showed that only 26% of the patients were able to answer the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL), a questionnaire about QOL [13].…”

Access of Discharged Schizophrenia Patients to Employment and Association Memberships in Turkey

“…The current study obtained similar outcomes. [23][24][25] Research results indicated that women perform better than men in daily life skills and treatment compliance. Based on these outcomes, it can be said that female patients are in a better position than male patients to meet the needs of daily life; furthermore, they attach more importance to therapy.…”