The effects of chemotherapy on length of stay and rate of return for psychiatrically hospitalized patients.

Abstract

From the results of many well controlled investigations of the effects of ataractic drugs on psychiatrically hospitalized patients, there can be little doubt but that many of these drugs act as a stimulus in modifying the psychotic's behavior and symptomatology. As Staudt and Zubin (19S7) point out, however, the important question is not so much whether the therapeutic agent stimulates an immediate change, but whether the agent has any significant effect on longitudinal recovery rates. The use of control and experimental groups in an adequate double blind design, in which the experimental (drug) group was found to have improved significantly in comparison with the control group, does not begin to answer the important question raised by Staudt and Zubin. In such studies, the use of the control group allows the researcher to reach conclusions regarding only the immediate stimulus effect of the drug under investigation.Perhaps the best way to evaluate the overall contribution of these drugs would be to compare the release rates, length of hospitalization, and return rates of two identical hospitals; one committed to a therapeutic involvement with the psychotic patient without drugs, the other relying on drugs as the major treatment method. Another possibility would be to compare the same hospitals' discharge and return rates before and after the introduction and extensive use of drugs as a

Neuroleptics and the Natural Course of Schizophrenia

“…It is likely, however, that useful studies were missed. Only one study (Ellsworth and Clayton 1960) that might have been used was knowingly excluded; it included an unspecified number of acute psychotic patients with explicitly diagnosed affective disorders.…”

Outcome studies in mental hospitals: A review.

“…Ellsworth (1968) pointed out that many hospitals have been excessively custodial, and medications provided a professionally acceptable reason for increased staff attention and optimism. In one well-staffed hospital, the advent of medications did not result in a measurable improvement in overall rehabilitation rates (Ellsworth & Clayton, 1960;cf. Sheppard, Goodman, & Watt, 1961).…”

Efficacy of psychiatric rehabilitation.

“…Two additional investigations compared the rehospitalization rates for a group of patients treated before the use of drugs with a group of patients treated with drugs (Ellsworth & Clayton, 1960;Michtom, Goldberg, Offenkrantz, & Whittier, 1957). Once again, recidivism rates did not differentiate between the two groups.…”