The effect of community mental health center services on the frequency of hospital admission, severity of disease symptoms, functional recovery, and insight in patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: A community mental health center (CMHC) is a local, non-hospital facility established to provide psychosocial support, treatment, and follow-up to patients with mental health disorders in an environment that allows them to remain part of the community and take part in life and thereby reduce the number of hospitalizations. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of CMHC rehabilitation services related to the frequency of hospitalization, severity of disease symptoms, functional recovery, and insight in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Schizophrenia patients who were treated at a single CMHC for at least 1 year were included. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia Scale (FROGS), and the Schedule for Assessment of Insight (SAI) were administered when they first presented at the CMHC and at the end of the first year of attendance. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients (24 males, 23 females) with a mean age of 41.9±8.9 years (range: 33–51 years) were included in the study. The results indicated that the frequency of hospitalization of schizophrenia patients who received care at the CMHC decreased significantly (p<0.05). The mean PANSS positive symptom subscale, negative symptom subscale, general psychopathology subscale, and total score recorded after a year of CMHC participation were statistically significantly lower, and the mean SAI and FROGS scores were statistically significantly higher (p<0.001). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The study findings showed that rehabilitation services provided by the CMHC reduced the number of hospitalizations and had a significantly positive effect on the severity of disease symptoms, functional recovery, and insight.