Key words: day care center, hospitalization, rehabilitation, latency, pharmacological therapy
Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate if the insertion in Day Care Centers (DCCs) could result in a possible reduction in hospitalizations.
Method: The analysis took into account patients belonging to DSM of the ‘ASL Roma E (one of five ASL, territorial departments of Rome with a catchment area of over 500,000 inhabitants) under treatment in the DCCs for at least six months and who had at least one hospitalization in SPDC or psychiatric clinic in the former 365 days before admission to the DCC, in the time period between 2007 and 2012. The analysis focused on: number of patients admitted, number of hospitalizations and number of days spent in hospital in the 365 days before and after admission to DCCs. Subsequently, several variables that can to come into play in rehospitalizations were considered: the age of patients involved in the treatment in the DCCs, the period of time taken by the Mental Health Centre to let patients begin the treatment in the DCCs, patients’ family involvement, pharmacological therapy and psychotherapy.
Results: The results showed that the insertion in the DCCs determinates a significant reduction both in the number of hospitalizations and in the total days spent in hospital. These data were particularly significant for patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but scarcely significant for patients affected by personality disorder. The treatment in the DCCs was more effective for patients who were aged 25 or less and who had a latency time of 5 years or less.
Conclusions: The treatment in the DCCs was significantly effective both in preventing and decreasing the hospitalizations and the re-hospitalizations. This study showed the major effectiveness of an early beginning of the treatment in the DCCs and the necessity of conceiving methodologies for treating particular categories of patients.
