Long-stay patients in a psychiatric hospital in Southern Brazil.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
To describe the demographic profile, social functioning, and quality of life of a population of long-stay care patients in a psychiatric hospital.

METHODS:
A study was carried out in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, in 2002. A total of 584 (96%) long-stay patients were assessed by means of the following instruments:
the World Health Organization Quality of Life, the Social Behavior Schedule, the Independent Living Skills Survey, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and another instrument for assessing disability (Questionnaire for Assessing Physical Disability).

RESULTS:
The average hospital stay was 26 years (SD:
15.8) and 46.6% of inpatients had no physical disability. Patients had their social functioning skills and autonomy largely impaired. Few of them (27.7%) answered the instrument for assessing quality of life, and showed significant impairments in all domains. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale evidenced a low prevalence of positive symptoms in this population.

CONCLUSIONS:
The institutionalized population studied presented significantly impaired social functioning, autonomy, and quality of life. These aspects need to be taken into consideration while planning for their deinstitutionalization.

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Author information

Author/s: Fleck, Marcelo Pio de Almeida (MP); Wagner, Luciane (L); Wagner, Mário (M); Dias, Miriam (M);

Affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. mfleck.voy(-atsign-)terra.com.br

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Revista de saúde pública (Rev Saude Publica), published in Brazil. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 41 (issue 1) : pp 124-30

Dates: Created 2007/02/02; Completed 2007/07/31;

PMID: 17273643, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Activities of Daily Living
Adult
Aged
Brazil
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
Female
Hospitals, Psychiatric - statistics & numerical data
Humans

Humans
Length of Stay
Long-Term Care
Male
Mental Disorders - psychology; therapy
Middle Aged
Quality of Life
Questionnaires

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