Closing of a state hospital: An overview and framework for a case study

This article introduces the trends in deinstitutionalization, the limitatio ns of previous research, and the design and research questions of the Centr al State Hospital (CSH) closing studies. Previously, the central engine of deinstitutionalization has been the downsizing, and not the closing, of fac ilities to decrease available beds. Only 14 state hospitals closed between 1970 and 1990, However since 1990, 40 hospitals have closed. Moreover begin ning in 1993,for the first time since deinstitutionalization began funding for sate psychiatric facilities was less than for community-based services. Previous research on both the downsizing and closing of hospitals has focu sed predominantly on relatively short-term clinical and social outcomes of patients. The current study is a multidisciplinary longitudinal, multiple-s takeholder study of the closing of a state-run, long-term care facility in Indiana. The articles that follow focus on the clinical, psychological, soc ial, and attitudinal outcomes for patients, workers, families, and the publ ic following the closing of CSH.