Create an overview of characteristics of patients in long-term forensic psychiatric care (LFPC) with a higher length of stay (LOS) care compared to patients in regular forensic psychiatric care (RFPC) with a shorter LOS. Data were collected from 139 patient records. This study examined whether patients in LFPC differ from patients in RFPC on sociodemographic data, legal data and clinical data and whether those characteristics are able to predict LOS. Patients in LFPC were more often born in a Dutch Caribbean country, less often had a substance abuse disorder, were more often emotionally neglected during childhood, had a higher HCR-20 risk item score, a higher security needs score, a higher (less successful) recovery score, were more often recidivist and had absconded more often than RFPC patients. Certain characteristics were able to distinguish the longer LOS group which might be useful to establish sequel services and enhance treatment efficiency.

This rapid review summarises currently available information on the definition, prevalence, characteristics and needs of long-stay patients within forensic psychiatric settings.Sixty nine documents from 14 countries were identified. Reports on what constitutes 'long-stay' and on the characteristics of long-stay patients were inconsistent. Factors most frequently associated with longer stay were seriousness of index offence, history of psychiatric treatment; cognitive deficit, severity of illness, diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychotic disorder, history of violence, and history of substance misuse. Although some countries are developing specific long-stay services, there is presently no consensus on what might constitute 'best practice' in such settings.