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Community Psychiatric Nursing for Neurotic Patients: A Controlled Trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

E. S. Paykel
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE
S. P. Mangen
Affiliation:
Univ-Nervenklinik, Kiel, West Germany
J. H. Griffith
Affiliation:
Kedren Community Health Center, Los Angeles, USA
T. P. Burns
Affiliation:
University of Uppsala, Sweden, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, SW17 0RE

Summary

Seventy-one neurotic patients requiring follow-up were randomly assigned to routine psychiatric out-patient care or to supportive home visiting from community psychiatric nurses as their main treatment agents and were assessed every six months for 18 months. No differences were found between effectiveness of the two modes of service on symptoms, social adjustment or family burden. Patients seeing community psychiatric nurses reported greater satisfaction with treatment. Community psychiatric nursing resulted in a marked reduction in out-patient contacts with psychiatrists and other staff, more discharges, and a small increase in general practitioner contact for prescribing. Care of such patients by community psychiatric nurses is a valuable alternative mode of deployment within the psychiatric team.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1982 

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