Aftercare of state hospital patients. The role of the general practitioner.

Of all the problems facing patients released from a state hospital, the most serious one is adjustment. Failure here means a return to the hospital. The present aftercare program of the Department of Mental Hygiene does not and is not intended to meet all of the patient's needs. It must rely upon other agencies to assist. It must rely upon the general practitioner to provide the continuity of care which is so important to successful rehabilitation. The general practitioner can often make return to a state hospital unnecessary by an accurate assessment of the patient's problems, by effective intervention, by utilizing available consultation and by judicious referral. When services are not available, he can do much to make them available through the effective use of his professional channels.