DOES COMMUNITY CARE REDUCE THE NEED FOR PSYCHIATRIC BEDS FOR SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

For schizophrenics, the closing down of the old traditional hospital has in many places ended up in a scenario characterized by homelessness, relapse, patients overcrowding acute psychiatric but also somatic hospital wards, increased suicide figures, low living standards - and an increased burden on the family. The beds for schizophrenics have been considerably reduced in many countries. For schizophrenia the critical low number of institution beds - hospital as well as nursing home - seems to be 0.07% of the general population. Schizophrenia in all phases must be treated as the disease it is, not as a social problem.