Factors Related to Treatment Outcome for Acute Schizophrenics

Becoming chronic or relapsing, or degradation of organ?s function would make the schizophrenic patient to visit the hospital repeatedly or even to get long stay. This issue costs a lot to not only medication but also public resource. The purpose of this study was to discover the factors that would influence the leaving or staying hospital of schizophrenic patients. The source of this study was based on the data of 401 patients of a psychiatric hospital in central Taiwan who were diagnosed as ? disease 295.xx? in the time span of 2004-Jan-1 through 2004-Dec-31. A nominal regression was performed by using the assigned conditions for the peracute patients (leaving hospital per doctor?s advice, and move to chronic ward) as the dependent, and gender, marital, age, frequency of hospitalization, tendency of violence, self-care function as covariates. The result shows that the patients with older age, single, earlier onset of the disease, ability of self-care, and when key person were siblings were more likely to be assigned to stay at hospital for further therapy. There is no significant evidence to show that patient?s gender, patient?s economic situation, the patient accepts degree the medicine, family's history, frequency of hospitalization or tendency of violence are related to stay at hospital for further therapy. The study shows that some factors, including marital status, age of being hospitalized, time of onset of disease, ability of self-care, and the job condition of recent one year of patient, are related to if patient should continue the treatment at chronic ward, and leads to the recommendation of enhancing the security of hardware of chronic ward. It also advises that hospital should enhance the training to concerned staffs in taking care of the patients that is old age or lacking of self-care ability. At last, but not least, the study recommends the hospital should arrange proper working environment and sufficient trainers specifically for patients with diverse working ability.