An Analysis of Methodology in Follow-up Studies of Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment

A review of 70 follow-up studies of adult inpatient psychiatric treatment published since 1975 reveals substantial methodological shortcomings. Recurring problems include lack of descriptive information about the patient population studied, inadequate depiction of the psychiatric treatment provided before or during hospitalization, weak research design, lack of blind analysis, unsystematic approaches to data collection, and avoidance of powerful statistical techniques. Eight specific recommendations are offered to aid future researchers in designing outcome studies.