Partial Hospitalization Treatment for Clinical Depression

Abstract

This article describes an outcome study evaluating the effectiveness of a partial hospitalization program (PHP) on the treatment of clinically depressed clients. Within the context of a relatively non-intrusive one-group pretest-posttest research design, nine adult clients completed the Generalized Contentment Scale (a measure of non-psychotic depression) at admission to, and discharge from, the PHP. The clients experienced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements between admission and discharge from the PHP. This MSW student-conducted program evaluation represents the type of easy-to-conduct outcome studies which are increasingly being called for in today's practice environment.

Key Words:

• Partial hospitalization treatment
• depression
• mental health
• evaluation
• day hospital