Progress of Clients with Mood and Anxiety Disorders in a Day Hospital Program: Examination of Clinical, Functional and Recovery Outcomes

AbstractPsychiatric day hospitals have been part of the continuum of care in mental health for several decades, with reasonable support as an alternative to inpatient care for acute illnesses. However, more needs to be explored for those with mood and anxiety disorders, including recovery outcomes. Integrating a collaborative program evaluation perspective, a naturalistic pre-post study of 68 persons with a mood and/or anxiety disorder was done. Participants completed validated questionnaires representing clinical outcomes of interest, that is, depressive and anxious symptoms, substance use disorder, mindfulness, social participation and perception of recovery at admission, at the end of the day hospital program and 6  months afterwards. Findings showed a significant and positive change for all studied outcomes during the day hospital program and maintenance of gains at 6 months, with a continued improvement in those who responded to all three times regarding global realization of social participation. No clini cal variable at baseline significantly affected recovery perception during the day hospital program. Single participants seemed to improve more with regards to anxiety symptoms. Satisfaction toward services was high and family involvement was an aspect that could be improved.
Source: Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research