A five-year study of brief hospitalization.

The authors compare their experience with 4 years on a brief hospitalization unit based on crisis theory with a fifth year on the same unit based on a traditional psychiatric approach. In terms of demographic and diagnostic variables and rehospitalization rates, they found that the change in approach had no significant effect on the type of patient admitted or the treatment outcome. The fact that certain tasks necessary for rapid discharge were effectively performed accounted for the success of the unit.