Deteriorated Psychotic Patients—Their Treatment and its Assessment

The problem of long-stay patients in mental hospitals is assuming increasing importance. At present, in most large mental hospitals the long-stay patients occupy 80 to 90 per cent. of the beds. The investigation by Freyhan (1955) suggested that although the new methods of treatment of the last 30 years have greatly increased the speed of recovery in the case with the good prognosis, they have not altered the outlook for the deteriorating case. This is in general confirmed by May (1956). Now these patients may have a yet longer stay because of the increased life span.