Comparison of Clinical and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Patients with Schizophrenia Treated Stationary and at Day Hospital

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a disorder that can disrupt practically every aspects of human functioning. It is a chronic disorder which can cause serious difficulties even at the level of elementary functioning for the affected individual and his/her family. Until twenty years ago, main goal of schizophrenia treatment was practically entirely directed on reducing positive symptoms, with significant residual deficits, such as negative symptoms, cognitive impairment, coping difficulties in everyday life situations, impaired social and working aspects of everyday life. Today the aim of treatment is deinstitutionalisation, fewer number of relapses, reduced number of hospitalizations, as well as improved personal, family, social and work functionality, which can all be achieved by treating patients suffering from schizophrenia in the day hospital setting, in other words – with partial hospitalization. The goal of this research was to investigate and compare differences and specificities of sociodemographic and clinical features in two groups of patients suffering from schizophrenia, those treated in a stationary setting and those who attended a day-hospital program. The study also attempted to identify and compare the differences between these two groups of patients, as well as compare the efficacy of treatment of the two treatment modalities while using a questionnaire designed specifically for the purpose of this research. The study included 60 patients suffering from schizophrenia, who formed two groups of 30 patients and was entirely performed at the Department of Psychiatry of KBC Sestre milosrdnice. The hypothesis of this research was that patients suffering from schizophrenia treated in a day hospital setting have fewer hospitalizations than patients treated in an acute psychiatric ward. Results confirmed this hypothesis, as there was a statistically significant difference in the number of hospitalizations between the two groups of patients. By comparing these two groups, it can be concluded that patients treated in the day hospital have a higher level of education, are less work impaired and and are treated at an early stage of their illness (up to 5 years of treatment) compared to patients treated at the acute psychiatric ward. Compared to patients treated in the day hospital setting, patients treated acutely in general have a lower level of education, increased hereditary loading and aggressiveness, as well as longer treatment duration (about 10 years) and discontinued (irregular) course of outpatient treatment. By comparing data obtained from these two groups of patients with schizophrenia we can shape guidelines that will help us in everyday nursing practice.