Effectiveness of an assertive outreach community treatment program

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe an Adult Community Treatment (ACT) program in Dandenong, Victoria, and its effect upon admission rates and time in hospital for 50 of the service's most disturbed patients. The implementation of the program was associated with a reduction in the annual re-admission rate from 38% (1989-90) to 21% (1990-91); the total length of hospital stay was also significantly reduced. The results support the value of community support programs in the management of the seriously mentally ill.

The prevalence of comorbid anxiety in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder

“…Nearly all had a background of repeated admissions. In these respects, they were typical of publicly treated psychiatric patients not only locally but elsewhere in Australia [16][17]. It is possible that patients regularly admitted to hospital have higher rates of anxiety disorder than those treated primarily in the community.…”

Assertive Community Treatment for Persons with Severe Mental Disorders: A Controlled Treatment Outcome Study

“…In addition, most studies have limited their evaluation of the effectiveness of ACT programs to the number of hospital admissions and days spent in hospital (e.g., Bush, Langford, Rosen, & Gott, 1990;Santos, Hawkins, et al, 1993). In some cases, the number of days spent in hospital was the only dependent variable (Dharwadkar, 1994;Hornstra et al, 1993;. Few studies have explored the potential impact of community programs on the quality of life, psychiatric symptoms, and life skills of patients.…”

Changing Self-Perception: Success in Independent Living for Individuals with Chronic Mental Illness

“…Pharmaceutical companies have developed a variety of increasingly effective antipsychotic medications. Treatment and housing have been deinstitutionalized which has resulted in the implementation of more community-based services.Unfortunately, the rehospitalization rate for this population continues at approximately 50% annually in the USA and Western Europe (Dharwadkar, 1994;Masand & Harvey, 2003), and at 36% in Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2004). Homeless rates in Minnesota have also steadily increased from 25% in 1991 to 53% in greater Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2004).…”

“…Unfortunately, the rehospitalization rate for this population continues at approximately 50% annually in the USA and Western Europe (Dharwadkar, 1994;Masand & Harvey, 2003), and at 36% in Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2004). Homeless rates in Minnesota have also steadily increased from 25% in 1991 to 53% in greater Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2004).…”