Post-hospital adjustment as predicted by psychiatric patients and by their staff.

Abstract

Predischarge ratings were used by a group of psychiatric patients to predict rehospitalization and work, family, and health adjustment for a period of 2 years following hospitalization. Predictions were derived from human interactions and not from psychological tests. Patients could not make predictions.

Staff Do Know Best: Peer & Therapist Prediction of Outcome Following Treatment for Problem Drinking

“…The finding that patients as a group were in general more optimistic than staff about their fellow patients' future functioning accords with previous research (Lasky et al 1959), and reflects the tendency for patients to have unrealistically high expectations at discharge (Rychtarik, et al 1992). This may limit the patient's objectivity and isolate them from factual or statistical considerations.…”

“…Within a clinical setting only one study (Lasky, et al 1959) has compared staff with peer outcome ratings. In this study, predicted post psychiatric hospital adjustment was examined in relation to relapse, employment and family adjustment and health.…”

Alternatives in the pursuit of the predictability and consistency of persons: Stable data that yield unstable interpretations

“…Thus the individual's past record of maladjustment and hospitalization is a good index of the likelihood of future problems. Recall, in this regard, that the incidence or rehospitalization for psychiatric patients was predicted with a correlation of .61 by the weight of the patient's folder (Lasky, Hover, Smith, Bostian, Duffendack, & Nord, 1959). Such correlations help confirm that all sorts of overall, aggregated indices of the relevant past can predict the future, often usefully, but without necessarily illuminating the nature of the linkage and the structure within the domain.…”

Prediction of the burden of released mental patients

“…Their results showed that staff members predicted with 70% accuracy on the average. Similar to certain aspects of Lasky et al (1959), the study presented here is concerned with the ability of health professionals to predict aspects of family and community life alluded to by and . However, the present study appears to be unique in its emphasis on the burden of the released mental patient on the family.…”

“…also found that family relationships and community understanding were important factors in the future outlook of hospitalized psychiatric patients. Lasky, Hover, Smith, Bostian, Duffendack, and Nord (1959) in a rare study of its kind investigated the ability of staff members to predict 2-year posthospital adjustment for psychiatric patients. Their results showed that staff members predicted with 70% accuracy on the average.…”