AN INTERMEDIATE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY—The Usefulness of a Place for Treatment Between Hospital and Home

摘要

A new kind of psychiatric facility to deal with patients returning to their community from a state hospital or with patients newly ill and treatable locally, combines a number of features in the interests of economy and enhanced effectiveness. Its economy arises from: (1) The exclusion of bed-patient and security-ward care for patients not in need of them; (2) a shortened hospital stay resulting from rapid treatment procedures (electroconvulsion, brief psychotherapy and drug therapy); (3) a flexible shifting to outpatient or day care as soon as practicable. Enhanced effectiveness of therapy arises from earlier discharge from state hospitals, earlier treatment of patients from the community, as well as comprehensive utilization of multiple therapeutic modalities.