HOSPITAL AT WAR - TREATMENT CHANGES IN MENTAL-PATIENTS

The implications of the chemical war threat and the missile attacks du ring the Gulf War for a medium-sized psychiatric community are analyze d in terms of psychiatric care and management. Changes in medication: physical restraint, and ward transfer were observed for schizophrenic patients in active psychotic phase (n = 50), in residual post-active p hase (n = 37), and patients with long-term residual type (n = 167). Th e variables for the first week of the war (n = 250) were compared to t hose the same week 1 year before (n = 254). Patients in active phase a nd patients in residual phase received more supplementary treatment an d radical changes in treatment; patients in active phase received more treatment reinforcement, as well as physical restraint, compared to p atients in residual phase and residual type patients. Residual type pa tients remained unchanged on all variables. Residual type patients rem ained mostly indifferent, while many severely disturbed psychotics nee ded restraining, and less severely disturbed patients residing in open wards required only minor tranquilizers. Patients in active phase ten ded to behave very erratically while denying being affected by the war , and patients in residual phase overtly expressed their anxiety and r emained in control.