Discharge Planning Process on a General Psychiatry Unit

Abstract

This study investigates the discharge-planning process and short-term outcomes for 100 patients discharged from a general psychiatry unit. The contributions of functional/illness factors, personal factors, and family factors to communication of the plan, length of stay, and satisfaction with discharge-planning process were investigated. Findings indicate that both the process and short-term outcomes of discharge planning are affected by factors that can be addressed in interventions with patients, families and the social environment. This research suggests that discharge planning without attention to psychosocial factors will fail to address issues relevant to patient well-being.

Key Words:

• Discharge planning
• psychiatry unit
• mental illness
• social work