Patients who discontinue day hospitalisation - an analysis.

Treatment discontinuation has been noted as a problem with psychiatric patients. This would equally be the case when long term measures for the rehabilitation of the mentally ill are concerned. In this study of patients who discontinued psychiatric day hospitalisation, it was found that over 90 % had dropped out in the first month of treatment. Schizophrenics, Manic Depressives, Epileptics and others contributed to the largest extent to this group whereas Mental Retardates discontinued less often. The discontinued patients either had better prognostic factors and maintained well subsequently (usually Manic Depressives) or relapsed soon after (usually Schizophrenics). The implications of the findings are discussed whilst comparing the discontinuers with those continuing day hospitalisation.