1) On April 1971, a follow-up survey was made of all the schizophrenc patients who were discharged from 12 National Mental Sanatoria during the period of 3 years from January 1, 1965 through December 31, 1967.
2) As the rate of rehospitalization showed a significant correlation to the course after discharging, the prognosis of the patients was discussed mainly on the basis of the rate of rehospitalization.
3) Of the 561 patients who could be traced in the present survey, 260 had not been rehospitalized till the time of survey, 127 had been back home after rehospitalization, 155 had been again called back to the hospital for treatment, 16 were dead and 3 were unknown as to rehospitalization.
4) Of the patients discharged for remission and amelioration excluding those discharged unimproved, 48, 7% were rehospitalized.
This rate of rehospitalization is lower, compared with 53.7% for those of Matsuzawa Hospital reported by Hachiya. As for those hospitalized for the first time, the rate of rehospitalization was 25%, being remarkably lower than 65% reported by Nishizono and 52% reported by Shimazono.
5) Factors which are considered associated with the high rate of rehospitalization include:
(1) The prognosis of the disease at the time of discharge was incurable.
(2) The type of disease at its onset belonged to hehephrenia.
(3) The patients were males.
(4) The patients developed the disease in youth, that is, under 14 years of age.
(5) The course of disease was eventful and the patients were hospitalized time and again.
6) Factors which are not considered associated with the high rate of rehospitalization include:
(1) Period from onset of disease to initial treatment
(2) Treatments during hospital days
(3) Number of years after onset of disease
7) Patients surveyed in order to determine whether there existed a potential for a higher rate of rehospitalization for those treated in a hospital, whether continuously or intermittently, for a prolonged period. The survey revealed that the rate of rehospitalization was remarkably lower for the patients who had stayed in the hospital for a total period of 10 years or more.
