Monitoring community psychiatric services in Italy: differences between patients who leave care and those who stay in treatment.

Abstract

Continuity of care has been monitored rarely in Italian community mental health centres. To estimate the long-term probability of leaving care in first-contact patients attending an out-patient service, and to identify patients most likely to drop out. All patients who had a first contact with the community mental health centre of Magenta during a 1-year recruitment period were followed up for 24 months. Patients who failed to return after the last out-patient visit were regarded as 'drop-outs'. During the 1-year recruitment period 330 subjects were at their first contact. The 1-year incidence of first-contact patients was nearly 33 per 10 000 inhabitants. At follow-up, 46% of patients had dropped out. In comparison with patients with psychoses, subjects suffering from neurotic (P =0.004) and personality disorders (P=0.029) were more likely to drop out. In the Italian system of community psychiatric care nearly half of the patients are no longer in contact after 2 years. Those who stay in treatment are more likely to suffer from psychosis, suggesting a commitment of Italian out-patient facilities to tackling the needs of patients with more severe disorders.