Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Psychiatric day treatment as alternative to and transition from full-time hospitalization

  • Articles
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A review of the comparative studies on day treatment as an alternative modality to traditional full-time hospitalization reveals impressive evidence of its superior effectiveness in facilitating the adjustment and re-integration of patients into the community. On other measures, such as cost effectiveness, family stress, symptom alleviation and relapse rate, day treatment proves to be on par with full-time hospitalization. The data base pertaining to the efficacy of day treatment as a transitional facility from hospital to community is promising, but much too incomplete to permit conclusive statements. Methodological and conceptual issues in the current research are discussed and recommendations for future studies are offered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Astrachan, B.M., Flynn, H.R., Geller, J.D. & Harvey, H.H. Systems approach to day hospitalization.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1970,22, 550–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bednar, R.L. & Kaul, T.J. Experiential group research: Current perspetives. In S.L. Garfield & A.E. Bergin (Eds.),Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change: An empirical analysis (2nd edition). New York: Wiley, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boag, T.J. Further developments in the day hospital.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1960,116, 801–806.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butts, H.F. The organization of a psychiatric day hospital.Journal of the National Medical Association, 1964,56, 381–389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cochran, B. Partial hospitalization: Trends and approaches.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1977,28, 451–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, E.L. Some problems in community program evaluation research.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978,46, 792–805.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D.W., Yarvis, R.M. & Mueller, D.P. Evidence for efficacy of partial hospitalization: Data from two studies.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1979,30, 97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S. The stability of behavior: Implications for psychological research.American Psychologist, 1980,35, 790–806

    Google Scholar 

  • Ettlinger, R.A., Biegel, A. & Feder, S.L. The partial hospital as a transition from inpatient treatment: A controlled follow-up study.Mt. Sinai Journal of Medicine, 1972,39, 251–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fink, E.B., Heckerman, C.L. & McNeill, D. An examination of clinican bias in patient referrals to partial hospital settings.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1979,30, 631–632.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fink, E.B., Longabaugh, R. & Stout, R. The paradoxial underutilization of partial hospitalization.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1978,135 713–716.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, F.D. & Perrault, J. Funding partial hospitalization programs. In R.F. Luber (Ed.),Partial Hospitalization: A Current Perspective. New York: Plenum, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guidry, L.S., Winstead, D.K., Levine, M. & Eicke, F.J. Evaluation of day treatment effectiveness.Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 1979,40, 221–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guillette, W., Crowley, B., Savitz, S.A. & Goldberg, F.D. Day hospitalization as a cost-effective alternative to inpatient care: A pilot study.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1978,28, 525–527.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guy, W. & Gross, G.W. Problems in the evaluation of day hospitals.Community Mental Health Journal, 1967,3, 111–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herz, M.I., Endicott, J. & Spitzer, R.L. Brief hospitalization of patients with families: Initial results.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1975,132, 413–418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herz, M.I., Endicott, J. & Spitzer, R.L. Brief versus standard hospitalization: The families.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1976,133, 795–801.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herz, M.I., Endicott, J. & Spitzer R.L. Brief hospitalization: A two-year follow-up.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1977,134, 502–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herz, M.I., Endicott, J., Spitzer, R.L. & Mesnikoff, A. Day versus inpatient hospitalization: A controlled study.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1971,127, 1371–1382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, B.M.Day Hospital: A Study of Partial Hospitalization in Psychiatry. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kris, E.B. Day hospitals.Current Therapeutic Research, 1965,7, 320–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linn, M.W., Caffey, E.M., Klett, C.J., Hogarty, G.E. & Lamb, H.R. Day treatment and psychotropic drugs in the aftercare of schizophrenic patients.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1979,36, 1055–1066.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luber, R.F. Future directions of partial hospitalization. In R.F. Luber (Ed.),Partial Hospitalization: A Current Perspective. New York: Plenum, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lystad, M.H. Day hospital care and changing family attitudes toward the mentally ill.Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1958,127, 145–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaux, M.H., Chelst, M.R., Foster, S.A. & Pruim, R.J. Day and full-time psychiatric treatment: A controlled comparison.Current Therapeutic Research, 1972,14, 279–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaux, M.H., Chelst, M.R., Foster, S.A., Pruim, R.J. & Dasinger, E.M. Post-release adjustment of day and full-time psychiatric patients.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1973,29, 647–651.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parloff, M.D. & Dies, R.R. Group therapy outcome instrument: Guidelines for conducting research.Small Group Behavior, 1978,9, 243–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penk, W.E., Charles, H.L. & Van Hoose, T.A. Comparative effectiveness of day hospital and inpatient psychiatric treatment.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978,46, 94–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sappington, A.A. & Michaux, M.H. Prognostic patterns in self-report, relative report, and professional evaluation measures for hospitalized and day-care patients.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1975,43, 904–910.

    Google Scholar 

  • Washburn, S., Vannicelli, M., Longbaugh, R. & Scheff, B.J. A controlled comparison of psychiatric day treatment and inpatient hospitalization.Journal of Consulting and Clincial Psychology, 1976,44, 665–675.

    Google Scholar 

  • Washburn, S.L., Vannicelli, M. & Scheff, B.J. Irrational determinants of the place of psychiatric treatment.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1976,27, 179–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilder, J.F., Levin, G. & Zwerling, I. A two-year follow-up evaluation of acute psychotic patients treated in a day hospital.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1966,122, 1095–1101.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine at the University of California, USA

    Les R. Greene Ph.D.

  2. Graduate Group in Clinical Psychology at the University of California, Davis

    Arnold De La Cruz M.S.

Authors
  1. Les R. Greene Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arnold De La Cruz M.S.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Greene, L.R., De La Cruz, A. Psychiatric day treatment as alternative to and transition from full-time hospitalization. Community Ment Health J 17, 191–202 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00757373

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00757373

Keywords

Search

Navigation