[Psychiatric day hospital - one year follow up].

OBJECTIVE: The psychiatric day hospital of the county hospital Neunkirchen was opened in 2003. All patients of the first year were followed up after one year to review and evaluate our support proposal.

RESEARCH DESIGN: The data of all patients who were admitted in the first year were collected before admission, at discharge and after a 1 year follow up period. 57,7% also did psychological questionnaires about psychiatric symptoms, existential orientation, state of health, impairment and selfmanagement ability at all 3 dates.

RESULTS: Almost all the patients (93%) utilized an after care offer and were still in aftercare treatment after on year. About 40% had no psychiatric episodes, 62% had no further admission to a psychiatric unit in the follow up period. We also found that the improvement of the psychiatric symptoms, existential orientation, state of health, impairment and selfmanagement ability which was achieved during the treatment was stable over the 1 year follow up period.

CONCLUSION: The results of the one year follow up show that the concept of the psychiatric day hospital at Neunkirchen with two diagnose specific treatment groups seems to be successful regarding motivation for after care treatment and the stability of psychiatric symptoms in evidence of further admissions to a psychiatric unit.