Long-term consequences of the reformation of psychiatric care: a 15-year follow-up study.

Although there are a great many epidemiological studies of psychiatric diseases and the outcomes of controlled rehabilitation programmes, there is a shortage of studies of routine psychiatric care. This study is a retrospective cohort study of the total number (n=138) of patients receiving inpatient care at a psychiatric rehabilitation clinic in Jönköping during 1984. The follow-up period is 15 years, 1984-98. The group had a considerable amount of inpatient care, but this decreased dramatically during the time of investigation. Positive indications were that there were no suicides during the last 5 years of the period and that the number of registered crimes showed a marked decrease from 1992. Negative indications were low levels of work and occupation and few social contacts.