SERVICE UTILIZATION BY FORMER LONG-STAY PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS IN NORTHERN-IRELAND

The shift from hospital to community care for people with mental healt h problems places continuing demands on community-based services. Howe ver, comparatively little is known about the patterns of service use a mong those previously resident in psychiatric hospitals. In this study , a total of 145 former long-stay psychiatric patients in Northern Ire land (NI) - most with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and aged under 60 - were followed up one year after discharge to identify the type and fr equency of service use during the previous six months. Although a wide range of services was used, GPs, CPNs and social workers respectively were central to client care outside hospital. However, access to, and use of, services influenced, in part, by the unique integrated health and social services structure in NI - varied widely across types and sectors of accommodation. The findings have implications both for the successful management of community placement for former long-stay pati ents and for the planning and implementation of services for future mo re dependent cohorts.