TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1994//
TI  - A national audit of new long-stay psychiatric patients. I: Method and description of the cohort
JO  - British journal of psychiatry
A1  - Lelliott, P.
A1  - Wing, J.
A1  - Clifford, P.
SP  - 160
EP  - 169
VL  - 165
IS  - 2
N2  - BACKGROUND: This first report of a national audit of new long-stay (NLS) psychiatric patients conducted in 1992 describes the survey method and characteristics of the cohort.  METHOD: Psychiatrists from 59 UK mental health services returned data on 905 patients, aged 18-64 on admission, who had been in hospital for between six months and three years.  RESULTS: Two particular sub-groups were observed. Younger NLS patients (aged 18-34) were predominantly single men with schizophrenia; 43% of these had a history of serious violence, dangerous behaviour or admission to a Special Hospital and over one-third were formally detained. Older NLS patients (aged 55-67) were predominantly married or previously married women, more often with a diagnosis of affective disorder or dementia and with poor personal and social functioning; over half were at moderate or severe risk of non-deliberate self-harm.  CONCLUSIONS: Despite the continued policy of bed closures and focus on care in the community, some patients admitted recently to psychiatric units in the UK still have protracted hospital stays.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0007-1250
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.165.2.160
ID  - ref1
ER  -