Psychiatric Day Hospital and Its Impact on Patients Clinical Stability: The Reality of Faro (Portugal) Unit

摘要

Psychiatric Day Hospitals are alternatives to classic hospitalization, staying in an intermediate position between full-time hospitalization and outpatient treatment. The main purpose of this work was to investigate the impact of the therapeutic program developed in a Psychiatric Day Hospital (of Faro-Portugal) on the clinical stability of the patients. It is a descriptive-correlational retrospective study, implemented through the consultation of the SCLINIC computer platform regarding the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. The records of 127 users were analysed. There was a predominance of mood disorders (n = 55;43.3%), followed by schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (n = 43, 33.9%). The majority of patients had a structured occupational plan after discharge (n = 106, 83.46%). In the year following the frequency of Day Hospital, compared to the year prior to admission, there was a reduction in the number of full-time hospitalizations, outpatient visitations/consultations, prescribed drugs and emergency episodes, with statistically significant differences. The positive impact of the frequency of Day Hospital had on patients’ clinical stability was the improvement in all studied variables. The Psychiatric Day Hospital of Faro-Portugal contributes to decreasing the number of full time hospitalizations, outpatient visitations/consultations and emergency episodes, maintaining patients’ clinical stability and reducing the public financial costs related to their therapeutic intervention.