Patterns of care for chronic patients after the Italian psychiatric reform: A longitudinal case register study

Identified chronic psychiatric patients in the community over a 6-yr period after the Italian psychiatric reform. 151 long-term patients (Ss in contact with psychiatric services) and 25 long-stay patients (Ss in hospitals) were followed to determine subsequent patterns of care. Six 1st-contact sociodemographic variables (sex, age, marital status, living situation, education, occupational status) and 2 clinical variables (International Classification of Diseases-9 diagnosis and past history of state psychiatric hospital admission) were studied for these Ss. 36.4% of postreform chronic Ss in the community remained in long-term contact with psychiatric services for 2 yrs after they were first identified. None of the sociodemographic and clinical variables studied individually or in combination were predictive of the probability of remaining in long-term contact with community psychiatric services. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1991 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)