Quality of life after psychiatric rehabilitation: the clients' perspective.

Fifty-five people discharged from inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation programs were interviewed 1 year after leaving hospital using the Client's Quality of Life Instrument. Following long periods of psychiatric hospitalization, these former patients had adapted to living in the larger community with considerable success. Ninety-six percent felt that their quality of life had improved as a consequence of leaving hospital. Most people had the necessary maintenance skills to live in community settings. They showed appropriate behaviors and blended into the larger community without difficulty. They used outreach support services provided by the hospital to help them in the transition to community living.