Needs of Persons With Serious Mental Illness Following Discharge From Inpatient Treatment: Patient and Family Views

Patients with serious mental illnesses often struggle with persistent symptoms that interfere with daily functioning in the community. The first days and weeks following inpatient treatment for an acute episode may be a critical time for patients to connect with the recommended community follow-up. Residual symptoms may interfere with their ability to access and benefit from these services to meet their needs. A descriptive study was conducted to explore perceptions of patients and families of patients' needs, functioning, coping and social support in the first 4 weeks after inpatient treatment. Results suggested that these patients had residual symptoms after discharge that interfered with functioning despite the availability of follow-up services. Patients identified unmet needs related to their illness. Family members identified concerns related to the lack of improvement in their ill relatives over time. Patients expressed satisfaction with care and felt supported by their families. Both patients and families seemed to lack a thorough understanding of goals for follow-up care.