Modest but significative reduction in symptoms and improvement in functionaluity of severe mentally ill patients three months after admission to a day care unit

RIVAYA, P; CAMPATTI, G; NAVARRETE, L; FLORES, M; MAXIT, F; GUARDO, G; WIKINSKI S

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 15th World Congress of Psychiatry; 2011

World Psychiatric Association

EMODEST BUT SIGNIFICATIVE REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTIONALITY OF SEVERE MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS THREE MONTHS AFTER ADMISSION TO A DAY CARE UNIT. Rivaya P1*, Campati G1*, Navarrete L2, Flores M1, Maxit F1, Guardo G1, Wikinski S1,3. * equally contributed 1 Proyecto Suma, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2 Mental Health Residency, Government of Buenos Aires city, Argentina,3 National Research Council of Argentina and School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Partial hospitalization is considered as efficacious as inpatient care for psychiatric patients. This efficacy has been demonstrated by follow-up studies on discharge or later. The goal of this work is to investigate the changes in symptoms, functionality and clinical general impression presented by severe mentally ill persons shortly after admission to a day care unit. Patients consecutively admitted during a 5 months period to a day care unit were evaluated at admission and three months later by SCL-90 scale, Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI). SCL-90 was also performed 15 days after admission. A total of 15 patients (females n= 9; age 35± 14 years) were included in the study. Diagnoses at admission were as follows: schizophrenia N= 4; borderline personality disorder n= 5; miscellaneous N= 6. While no effect on General Severity and Positive Symptom Distress indices were found, a significant reduction on Positive Symptoms Total (p < 0.001) was observed at follow-up. Specific dimensions contributing to such reduction were interpersonal sensitivity (p < 0.001), depression (p< 0.05) and paranoid ideation (p = 0.05). A significant increment in GAF score (p < 0.005) and a significant reduction in CGI score (p < 0.0001) were found as well. Interestingly, an assessment 15 days after admission revealed a significant improvement as evaluated by SCL-90 rating scale. The results obtained in this little sample of patients demonstrate that shortly after admission in a day care unit a significant symptomatic, functional and general improvement can be observed.