Treatment patterns of young chronic schizophrenic patients in the era of deinstitutionalization.

A retrospective longitudinal treatment utilization study of 56 young chronic schizophrenic patients who began their treatment careers during the deinstitutionalization era was carried out covering all psychiatric services provided to each patient since first treatment. The group was primarily male and was characterized by histories of drug abuse and violence. Treatment utilization was heavy, discontinuous, and episodic with these patterns intensified for patients with histories of drug abuse. The majority of the group became "long-stay" hospital residents. The clinical and mental health policy implications of these findings are discussed and further research is suggested.