The Stockholm follow up study of persons diagnosed with psychosis. A 10 year follow-up study. Part 2 - Recovery in a welfare state

The living conditions for persons with severe mental illness (SMI) have changed dramatically in recent decades, mainly due to the closure of mental hospitals and development of community-based interventions and support. This... [ view full abstract ]

The living conditions for persons with severe mental illness (SMI) have changed dramatically in recent decades, mainly due to the closure of mental hospitals and development of community-based interventions and support. This has created a fragmented institutional landscape and a lack of knowledge concerning the possibility for recovery for persons with SMI in this new landscape. As a consequence of the reorganization of psychiatric care follow-up studies cannot be limited to traditional psychiatric care but must include aspect of the whole society.

This present study, “The Stockholm Follow-up study”, followed 447 persons, diagnosed with psychosis, over a ten year period, 2005-2014. Data were collected from several registers (Statistics of living conditions in Sweden, Cause of Death Register, Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, National In-patient Register, Somatic and psychiatric in-patient treatment, City of Stockholm Social Services database, Local psychiatric activity database).

Twelve persons were also interviewed at several occasions during the studied period. 

The main findings from the Stockholm Follow-up study shows that the majority of the population stayed outside 24 hours institutions (psychiatric wards and supported housing) during the last seven years of the studied period. Care and support were mostly given in the form of psychiatric and social interventions in open care. There was hardly any trans-institutionalisation from psychiatric in-patient care to prison. There were no statistical differences between men and women.