Closing the gaps: the effectiveness of linking programs connecting chronic mental patients from the hospital to the community.

The research reported in this article tested the effectiveness of a linking program between city hospitals and community treatment programs in reducing the rehospitalization of mental patients following discharge. The authors proposed that the nature of the relationships between the liaison teams of such programs and those providing aftercare services is essential to providing a continuity of care and thus to lowering rates of rehospitalization. Two liaison teams were evaluated, one of which had more positive and ongoing relationships with providers of community services to mental patients. The program with the more positive and continuous relationships was predicted and found to be more effective in reducing rehospitalization rates for chronic mental patients. Testing a case management/primary therapist adaptation by the less effective program demonstrated that patient or staff characteristics did not account for the differences between the programs' effectiveness.