A 15-year followup of 646 schizophrenic outpatients.

The 15-year hospitalization course of 646 chronic schizophrenic outpatients treated between 1958 and 1963 was determined using records of the research clinic, the Kings County Psychiatric Hospital, and the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene. The cohort was heterogeneous with regard to previous history of hospitalization: 20.6 percent had never been hospitalized, 22.0 percent had experienced only crisis admissions, and 57.4 percent had experienced long-term psychiatric hospitalization. The results indicate that 58.8 percent were hospitalized subsequent to project entry. A relationship was observed between previous history and hospitalization and hospitalization during the followup period. Patients with no previous history of hospitalization was less likely to be hospitalized than patients with crisis admissions only, who in turn were less likely to be hospitalized than patients with a history of hospitalization in a long-term psychiatric treatment facility (39.1 percent vs. 53.5 percent vs. 67.9 percent; p less than .001). The implications of these findings for future followup studies are discussed.