Management of Schizophrenia - Hospitalization

Hospitalization

Hospitalization may occur with severe episodes of schizophrenia. This can be voluntary or (if mental health legislation allows it) involuntary (called civil or involuntary commitment). Long-term inpatient stays are now less common due to deinstitutionalization, although still occur. Following (or in lieu of) a hospital admission, support services available can include drop-in centers, visits from members of a community mental health team or Assertive Community Treatment team, supported employment and patient-led support groups. Efforts to avoid repeated hospitalization include the obtaining of community treatment orders which,following judicial approval, coerce the affected individual to receive psychiatric treatment including long=acting injections of anti-psychotic medication. This legal mechanism has been shown to increase the affected patient's time out of the hospital. (References: Assessing the Outcome of Compulsory Treatment Orders on Management of Psychiatric Patients at 2 McGill University-Associated Hospitals. Arash A Nakhost, John Christopher JC Perry, and Daniel D Frank Can J Psychiatry 57(6):359-65 (2012), PMID 22682573

Frank D, Perry JC, Kean D, Sigman M, Geagea K: Effects of compulsory treatment orders on time to hospital readmission. Psychiatr Serv; 2005 Jul;56(7):867-9 )