Outcome quality of gerontopsychiatric day-clinic treatment: Changes in life-satisfaction

Objective: The variety of institutional treatments in psychiatry, as well as financial aspects make it necessary to evaluate these institutions for the quality of their medical care. At the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, the quality of treatment at the gerontopsychiatric day-clinic is assessed on the level of outcome quality. Method: The patients are examined at admission, at discharge, half a year and one year after discharge. Psychopathology, activities of daily living, social situation and quality of life are assessed by means of standardized instruments. Results: Preliminary results show that at discharge, patients are less depressed, have achieved a higher level of social activities and contacts and that their quality of life improved in most domains. In some domains of quality of life improvement is highly correlated with the amelioration of depressive symptoms, in others not. Conclusion: Whether these effects of treatment will last, has to be studied in follow-up examinations.