THE TAPS PROJECT .22. A 5-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF LONG-STAY PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS DISCHARGED TO THE COMMUNITY

A group of 114 long-stay patients in Friern and Claybury Hospitals was assessed while in hospital, and then again one year and five years after discharge to community placements. Neurotic symptoms, verbal and non-verbal behaviour and, most notably, negative symptoms all improved between the two community follow-up interviews. Patients were living under much less restrictive conditions in the community, and their appreciation of this freedom continued to grow over the years. Their social networks were enriched by an increase in the number of friends in the first year after discharge and in the number of confidants in the subsequent four years. There were no adverse outcomes, but these conclusions cannot yet be said to apply to all long-stay residents of mental hospitals.