The comparison of patients with schizophrenia in community mental health centers according to living conditions in nursing home or home

Objective: Community mental health centers constitute the core of the community-based mental health service model. Some of the patients enrolled in these centers that provide support to individuals and their families with severe mental disorders are staying in a nursing home. In this study, it was aimed to compare the sociodemog- raphic, clinical and drug treatment characteristics of the patients living in nursing home with the patients living at home. Methods: The study included a total of 135 patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 criteria and who attended to rehabilitation program at community mental health centers of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Beyhekim Psychiatry Clinic, Konya Numune Hospital and Konya Ereğli State Hospital at least one day in a month. The study design was retrospective, the data collection forms were filled using hospital medical records. Results: A total of 135 patients with schizophrenia were included in the study. While 82 (60.7%) of the patients were living at home, 53 (39.3%) were in the nursing home. The rate of male patients in the nursing home, the average age, the number of days they participated in the rehabilitation program, the duration of the illness, and the smoking rate were significantly higher than the patients who were living at home. When all patients using multiple antipsychotics were evaluated, positive correlation was found between the number of drugs and side effect scale score, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score. According to the logistic regression analysis to determine the variables predicting the use of single antipsychotic or multiple antipsychotic drugs, the male gender and the number of hospitalizations were found to increase the rate of combined drug use. Discussion: In order to improve the service provided in community mental health centers, it is necessary to identify the need areas of patients according to living conditions in nursing home or home, to share the good practices in psychosocial interventions and to increase the awareness in drug treatments in order to make new arrangements in line with the recommendations of the treatment guidelines. (Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry 2020; 21(1):14-22).