The relatives of the mentally ill. A comparative trial of community-oriented and hospital-oriented psychiatric care.

One hundred and twenty patients presenting for admission were randomly allocated into two groups. Control patients received standard psychiatric hospital care and aftercare. Experimental patients were not admitted, if possible; they and their relatives were provided with comprehensive community treatment, including a 24-hour crisis service. Patients with a diagnosis of alcohol or drug dependence, organic brain disorder, or mental retardation were excluded. The great majority of patients were diagnosed as suffering from one of the functional psychoses--mainly schizophrenia. During the study year, control patients spent an average of 53.5 days in psychiatric hospitals, experimental patients spent an average of 8.4 days. Psychiatric patients were treated more effectively and economically in the community, without shifting the burden onto the relatives. Nearly all the relatives of experimental patients preferred community treatment; they considered it to be significantly more helpful to the patients and themselves than standard psychiatric hospital care and aftercare.