Old and New: A Comparison of State Psychiatric Hospitals

Paul G Stiles, Dennis P Culhane, Trevor R Hadley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This study examined whether state hospitals in operation before deinstitutionalization still cary vestigates of older models of psychiatric care. Using a national database, the authors compared 166 state hospitals built before 1949 with 80 state hospitals built after that time. The old hospitals treated fewer children and adolescents, received more state funding and less third-party funding, had fewer professional clinical staff, spent less on salaries and maintenance, and had more beds, a lower turnover rate, and a longer average length of stay. Findings suggest that planners and policymakers should take into account a facility's history when attempting to introduce innovations.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalPsychiatric Services
Volume47
StatePublished - Jan 1 1996

Keywords

  • state hospitals

Disciplines

  • Health Law and Policy
  • Mental Disorders

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