Symptom dimensions and needs of care among patients with schizophrenia in hospital and the community

The purpose of the present paper was to examine the psychiatric symptom dimensions related to needs of care among patients with schizophrenia in hospital and in the community. Subjects were 217 patients with F2 ICD-10 diagnoses. Hospital patients included 102 inpatients (47.0%) in psychiatric long-term care units. Community patients included 115 outpatients (53.0%) living in their homes or residential facilities. Psychiatrists used the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to assess patients' psychiatric symptoms. Formal care providers assessed needs of care using a scale developed by the Committee on Case Management Guidelines for People with Mental Disabilities in Japan. Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) self-performance and difficulty were also measured using a scale from the Minimum Data Set-Home Care (MDS-HC). Multiple regression analyses were applied, using the symptom dimensions as dependent variables and needs of care as independent variables. Patient group (hospital or community) was also used as an independent variable. Hospital patients demonstrated more severe psychiatric symptoms and greater needs of care than community patients. Multiple regression analyses showed that the total needs of care were greater among male patients (B = 0.142, P = 0.005), hospital patients (B = 0.310, P < 0.001), patients with poor IADL self-performance (B = 0.217, P = 0.047), and patients with severe negative symptoms (B = 0.240, P = 0.002; R² = 0.515). The present results suggested an association between negative symptoms and needs of care in schizophrenia. Hospital patients had greater needs of care, even though their psychiatric symptoms were controlled for. Further research should examine the relationships between psychiatric symptoms and needs of care in a cohort study following patients when hospitalized and when living in the community.