Stability of outcome in a comprehensive, cognitive therapy based treatment programme for long-term mentally ill patients. A 2-year follow-up study

Abstract

A total of 21 long-term mentally ill patients, from an original sample of 28, were assessed with regard to quality of life, symptomatology, global functioning and target complaints at 6 and 24 months after discharge from a comprehensive in-patient treatment programme based on cognitive therapy. A subgroup of people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia was compared with a matched control group receiving conventional rehabilitation, with regard to living situation, work situation and use of inpatient psychiatric care 2 years before and 2 years after treatment. The results showed improvement for the patients in the treatment group in four out of five outcome measures between admission and the 2-year follow-up. The investigation of differences in outcome between the patients in the treatment group and the control group showed a marked reduction in the use of in-patient psychiatric care for the patients receiving comprehensive cognitive therapy based treatment during the 2 years after treatment. Furthermore, they also had a significantly higher degree of independent living at the 2-year follow-up.