Deinstitutionalization and the Survival of the State Hospital

Despite vigorous efforts at deinstitutionalization, the state mental hospital continues to be the locus of care for a wide variety of patient populations. The authors examined the changes in one state bospilal's clientele between 1 972 and 1 980 and discovered a 50 percent reduction in long-stay patients, a 27 percent increase in admissions, and the emergence of a new long-stay population. The authors say that the modern state hospital can be conceptualized as several different facilities under a single administrative roof rather than as a monolithic structure. They conclude that mental health planners must acknowledge the continued existence ofa group of patients whose needs are perhaps best served by the state hospital. Strategies must be developed to use the existing hospital resources in the most efficient and effective manner.