Aftercare services for patients with severe mental disorder: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Although evidences emphasize on the importance of aftercare programs to achieve continuity of care, different studies have revealed controversial results about the outcome. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of aftercare program on outcome measures of patients with severe mental disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of a total 123 eligible patients with severe mental disorders, 61 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 62 patients to the control group. The interventions included follow-up phone calls, home visits, and psychoeducation for families. Assessments were performed on hospital admission, discharge and the following 3(rd), 6(th) and 12(th) month. Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Clinical Global Impression (CGI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHO-QOL) were used. Data were analyzed through Chi square, t-test, Mann-Whitney-U, and Repeated Measures Analysis of Co-Variance. RESULTS: Mean of the HDRS scores revealed significant difference between the two groups when HDRS scores on the admission day were controlled (P = 0.028). The level of functioning was significantly different between the two groups based on the sequential assessments of GAF (P = 0.040). One year after the onset of trial, the number of psychiatric readmissions were significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.036). CONCLUSION: Readmission rates could be reduced by aftercare services, through the first year, after discharge of patients with severe mental disorders. On the other hand, higher levels of functioning would be expected after one year.