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Closing of a state hospital: An overview and framework for a case study

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Abstract

This article introduces the trends in deinstitutionalization, the limitations of previous research, and the design and research questions of the Central State Hospital (CSH) closing studies. Previously, the central engine of deinstitutionalization has been the downsizing, and not the closing, of facilities to decrease available beds. Only 14 state hospitals closed between 1970 and 1990. However, since 1990, 40 hospitals have closed. Moreover, beginning in 1993, for the first time since deinstitutionalization began, funding for state psychiatric facilities was less than for community-based services. Previous research on both the downsizing and closing of hospitals has focused predominantly on relatively short-term clinical and social outcomes of patients. The current study is a multi-disciplinary, longitudinal, multiple-stakeholder study of the closing of a state-run, long-term care facility in Indiana. The articles that follow focus on the clinical, psychological, social, and attitudinal outcomes for patients, workers, families, and the public following the closing of CSH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, 402 N. Blackford Street, 46202-3275, Indianapolis, IN

    John H. McGrew Ph.D. (Associate Professor)

  2. the Department of Sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, USA

    Eric R. Wright Ph.D. (assistant professor) & Bernice A. Pescosolido Ph.D. (Chancellors' Professor)

Authors
  1. John H. McGrew Ph.D.
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  2. Eric R. Wright Ph.D.
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  3. Bernice A. Pescosolido Ph.D.
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Correspondence to John H. McGrew Ph.D..

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He is also with the Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research in Bloomington.

he is also with the Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research in Bloomington.

she is also with the Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research in Bloomington.

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McGrew, J.H., Wright, E.R. & Pescosolido, B.A. Closing of a state hospital: An overview and framework for a case study. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 26, 236–245 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287270

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