Long-stay patients in a psychiatric hospital in Southern Brazil

Authors

  • Marcelo Pio de Almeida Fleck Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Faculdade de Medicina
  • Luciane Wagner Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Faculdade de Medicina
  • Mário Wagner Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Faculdade de Medicina
  • Miriam Dias Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102007000100017

Keywords:

Inpatients, Mentally ill persons, Hospitals, psychiatric, Health care reform, Questionnaires^i1^sutilizat, Cross-sectional studies

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic profile, social functioning, and quality of life of a population of long-stay care patients in a psychiatric hospital. METHODS: A study was carried out in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, in 2002. A total of 584 (96%) long-stay patients were assessed by means of the following instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life, the Social Behavior Schedule, the Independent Living Skills Survey, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and another instrument for assessing disability (Questionnaire for Assessing Physical Disability). RESULTS: The average hospital stay was 26 years (SD: 15.8) and 46.6% of inpatients had no physical disability. Patients had their social functioning skills and autonomy largely impaired. Few of them (27.7%) answered the instrument for assessing quality of life, and showed significant impairments in all domains. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale evidenced a low prevalence of positive symptoms in this population. CONCLUSIONS: The institutionalized population studied presented significantly impaired social functioning, autonomy, and quality of life. These aspects need to be taken into consideration while planning for their deinstitutionalization.

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Published

2007-02-01

Issue

Section

Original Articles

How to Cite

Fleck, M. P. de A., Wagner, L., Wagner, M., & Dias, M. (2007). Long-stay patients in a psychiatric hospital in Southern Brazil . Revista De Saúde Pública, 41(1), 124-130. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102007000100017