[Deinstitutionalization, housing situation and subjective satisfaction of schizophrenic patients].

OBJECTIVE

After the German reunification the deinstitutionalisation of long-term hospitalised psychiatric patients and the restructuring of the complementary psychiatric care has become necessary in the "new" German states. Hereby it became possible to offer alternative residential settings and new community-oriented care programmes for the mentally disabled.

METHODS

Ten years after the beginning of this process we analysed the impact of the housing conditions and the subjective satisfaction of 245 chronic schizophrenic patients living in different residential care-settings or with family resp. on their own in the Dresden region. Additionally we asked for the satisfaction with the organisation of the deinstitutionalisation process.

RESULTS

The subgroups--defined by the residential setting--differ in sociodemographic variables and in the levels of psychopathology (PANSS) and social disabilities (DAS-M). It is shown how deficiencies and restrictions of the living situation and the deinstitutionalisation process are reflected in the respective judgments of the patients especially referring to autonomy and self-determination.

CONCLUSIONS

Requirements for the further development of the complementary psychiatric care system are deduced.