Goals of Institutional Mental Health Treatment

Institutional mental health treatment has changed dramatically since its origins. Understanding the goals of psychiatric hospital treatment and how it can vary will help determine what type of treatment you or a loved one may need.

Stabilization--Acute Symptoms

• Short-term inpatient psychiatric units focus primarily on stabilizing patients who have been admitted. Typically, these patients are acutely suicidal, homicidal or psychotic (seeing or hearing things that are not actually there).

Stabilization through Medication Management

• Short-term psychiatric hospitals often have patients who have, for various reasons, stopped taking their psychotropic medications. A hospital will help them get back on track with their medication and discharge them after a sufficient period of stability, which is typically two weeks.

Behavior Modification

• Psychiatric hospitals are able to provide consistent structure, which is an ideal environment for modifying ineffective behavior. If a patient is admitted with cutting or bulimia, for example, a hospital can help these patients learn different, more adaptive behaviors.

Alternative Treatments

• Hospitals are able to provide a wide range of treatments not available in the community. For example, electro-convulsive shock therapy is used to treat severe depression when other, more traditional treatments have been ineffective.

Detox and Substance Abuse Treatment

• Psychiatric hospitals see many patients who self-medicate through illegal drugs. Hospitals are a safe place for patients to detox and receive substance abuse treatment before they are ready to return to the community.

Long-Term Care

• Some psychiatric illnesses require long-term care. This can mean years of inpatient treatment, depending on the severity. People with schizophrenia who have not responded to medication often require long-term care. The goal is to eventually re-integrate the person into the community.