Needs and services at an in-patient psychotherapy unit

Abstract

Objective: To describe the impact of services provided, during an admission,on unmet needs and correlates of unmet needs.
Method: The study used a modified version of The Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) to assess the perceived needs of
100 patients on admission to a psychotherapy unit, Valkenberg Hospital, Cape Town. At discharge, the study documented the
extent to which the patients had perceived services and interventions to be useful. Results: The mean number of needs on
admission was 8.6. At discharge, help received was highest for psychiatric needs. The services most often regarded as useful
were organised group activities and therapies. Regression analysis suggests that a lower level of education and the presence of
borderline personality traits contribute significantly to unmet need on discharge. Conclusion: The in-patient program is
effective in meeting psychiatric needs, but less useful for addressing psycho-social needs. These needs may exacerbate
psychiatric problems and should be managed more actively before, during and after an in-patient stay.

Keywords: Mental health services; Camberwell assessment of Need; Unmet need

African Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 10 (3) 2007: pp. 149-156