Care of Patients With Chronic Mental Illness: Comparison of Home and Half-Way House Care

Bih-Ching Shu, For-Wey Lung, Yi-Ching Lu, Gary A. Chase and Peter Pan
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Bih-Ching Shu: Department of Nursing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
For-Wey Lung: Department of Psychiatry, Military Kaohsiung General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Yi-Ching Lu: Department of Psychiatry, Military Kaohsiung General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Gary A. Chase: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Henry Ford Health Sciences Center, Detroit, MI, USA
Peter Pan: Department of Psychiatry, Military Kaohsiung General Hospital, Taiwan

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2001, vol. 47, issue 2, 52-62

Abstract: Community-based services are being developed as mental health services. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect between home care and half-way house services on patients with schizophrenia. The design was quasi- expsriroental and used repeated measurements. There were 60 subjects, 37 receiving home care and 23 receiving half-way house care which were affiliated with one general hospital in the south of Taiwan. Of the 60 chronic schizophrenic patients, there were 34 males and 26 females with an average age of 34 years. The Quality of Life Scale was applied to measure each patient four times, at an interval of two months. These follow-up data were analyzed by Generalized Estimating Equation-I (GEE-I) because repeated observations on an individual may be correlated. The result showed that the total QOL in patients receiving home care programs was significantly higher than those receiving half-way house service. The total scores of QOL in patients under half-way house and home care services did not show secular change. The patients under home care program showed a somewhat improvement for a short period of time. However, as time went on, the patients showed no obvious improvement in their life quality. The dimensions of indepen dence and social activity in QOL also showed significantly different between these two groups. The results may provide guides on designing programs and activities for the chronic mental patients. However, the best decision to apply which program for patients need continouous and comprehensive assessment.

Keywords: Quality of Life; Chronic Mental Illness; Home Care Service; Half-Way House Service; Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:47:y:2001:i:2:p:52-62

DOI: 10.1177/002076400104700205

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