Treatment of Schizophrenia: Implications Derived from an Intercultural Hospital Comparison between Germany and Japan

B. Hubner-Liebermann, H. Spießl, K. Iwai and C. Cording
Additional contact information
B. Hubner-Liebermann: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany, bettina.huebner-liebermann@medbo.de
H. Spießl: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
K. Iwai: Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Japan
C. Cording: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2005, vol. 51, issue 1, 83-96

Abstract: Objectives: The study was aimed at evaluating facets of psychiatric inpatient care of patients with schizophrenia in a German and a Japanese hospital. Methods: Based upon a sample of 865 inpatients of the Psychiatric State Hospital Regensburg (BKR) and 50 inpatients of the Tokyo Women’s Medical University (TWMU) admitted in 1997, data of a psychiatric basic documentation system (BADO) were analysed with regard to essential process and outcome indicators. Results: Despite dissimilarities between both patient groups with respect to schizophrenic subtype, duration of illness as well as severity of illness and psychosocial functioning, the differences regarding therapeutic treatment and outcome were marked. In 1997, the rate of atypical neuroleptics was 18% at the BKR and 12% at the TWMU. Inpatients of the TWMU were given benzodiazepines and anticholinergic drugs significantly more frequently. Male patients of the TWMU showed more severe side-effects. Psychotherapy and sociotherapy were less frequently applied at the TWMU. Although the patient groups did not differ with regard to suicidal behaviour and overt aggressions during hospitalisation, we found a higher rate of mechanical restraints at the TWMU. In 1997, the average length of stay was significantly higher at the TWMU (153 days) than at the BKR (52 days), but inpatients of the TWMU improved only slightly better with regard to global psychosocial functioning (GAF) and severity of illness (CGI). Conclusions: The revealed differences in treatment are likely due to differences in service provision and national practices in Germany and Japan and provide clues for quality improvements. The BADO is a useful tool for continuous quality management and an ongoing international exchange concerning psychiatric inpatient care.

Keywords: documentation; hospital comparison; outcome; process; quality assurance; schizophrenia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764005050337 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:51:y:2005:i:1:p:83-96

DOI: 10.1177/0020764005050337

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().