Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Methodological advances in the use of recidivism rates to assess mental health treatment programs

  • Articles
  • Published:
The journal of mental health administration Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study of recidivism rates within a state psychiatric system identifies and controls for a number of flaws in other recidivism studies and provides one of the few direct comparisons between different mental health programs using recidivism rates as a dependent variable. It is not an attempt to predict the likelihood of an individual patient’s recidivism or to improve the treatment provided the individual patient. Instead, it is an endeavor to address the issue of using recidivism rates to assess a treatment program’s effectiveness and to examine such treatment at the macro-or system-wide level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Robitscher, J.:The Powers of Psychiatry, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Committee on Government Operations.From Back Wards to Backstreets: The Failure of the Federal Government in Providing Services for the Mentally Ill. House Report 100-541. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kiesler CA, Sibulkin AE:Mental Hospitalization: Myths and Facts About a National Crisis. Newbury Park CA: Sage, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Fisher WH, Pierce GL, Appelbaum PS: How flexible are our civil commitment statutes?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1988; 39(7):711–712.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Seling MJ, Johnson GW: A bridge to the community for extended-care state hospital patients.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1990; 41(2):180–183.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Walters J: Making it easier to commit the mentally ill.Governing 1990; 3(6):60–61.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lipton FR, Nutt S, Sabatini A: Housing the homeless mentally ill: Alongitudinal study of a treatment approach.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1988; 39:40–45.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Essock SM, Goldman HH: Prospective payment in retrospect.American Psychologist 1989; 44(9): 1237–1239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kiesler CA, Morton TL: Keeping an open mind: A rejoinder.American Psychologist 1989; 44(9):1239–1241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kiesler CA, Simpkins C, Morton T: Predicting length of hospital stay for psychiatric patients.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1990; 41(2):149–154.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Schinnar AP, Rothbard AB: Evaluation questions for Philadelphia’s capitation plan for mental health services.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1989; 40(7):681–683.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bachrach LL: Planning mental health services for chronic patients.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1979; 30:387–393.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Fernandez GA, Nygard S: Impact of involuntary outpatient commitment on the revolving-door syndrome in North Carolina.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1990; 41(9):1001–1004.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. General Accounting Office.Returning the Mentally Disabled to the Community: Government Needs to Do More. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Morrissey JP, Goldman HH: Cycles of reform in the care of the chronically mentally ill.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1984; 35(8):785–793.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Weinstein AS, Cohen M: Young chronic patients and changes in the state hospital population.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1984; 35(6):595–600.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bond GR, Miller LD, Krumwied RD, et al.: Assertive case management in three CMHCs: A controlled study.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1988; 39(4):411–418.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cutler DL: Clinical care update: The chronically mentally ill.Community Mental Health Journal 1985; 21:3–13.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Marcos LR: Who profits from deinstitutionalization?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1989; 40(12):1221.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. McRae J, Higgins M, Lycan C, et al.: What happens to patients after five years of intensive case management stops?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1990; 41(2):175–179.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Surles RC, McGurrin MC: Increased use of psychiatric emergency services by young chronic mentally ill patients.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1987; 38(4):401–405.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Belcher JR: Are jails replacing the mental health system for the homeless mentally ill?Community Mental Health Journal 1988; 24(3):185–195.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Caton CLM: The new chronic patient and the system of community care.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1981; 32(7):475–478.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Harris M, Bachrach LL: Perspectives on homeless mentally ill women.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1990; 41(23):253–254.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Okie S: Hospitals to be required to provide care statistics.Washington Post 1989; (October 1), p. A3.

  26. Barter JT: Accreditation surveys: Nit-picking or quality seeking?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1988; 39(7):707.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Hadley TR, McGurrin MC: Accreditation, certification, and the quality of care in state hospitals.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1988; 39(7):739–742.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Anthony WA, Buell GJ, Sharratt S, et al.: Efficacy of psychiatric rehabilitation.Psychological Bulletin 1972; 78:447–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Craig TJ, Kline NS: Factors associated with recidivism: Implications for a community support system.Community Support Service Journal 1978; 2(2):1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Minkoff K: Amap of chronic mental patients. In: Talbott J. (Ed.):The Chronic Mental Patient. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Erickson RC, Paige AB: Fallacies in using length-of-stay and return rates as measures of success.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1973; 24:559–561.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Winston A, Pardes H, Papernik DS, et al.: Aftercare of psychiatric patients and its relation to rehospitalization.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1977; 28(2):118–121.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Byers ES, Cohen S, Harshbarger DD: Impact of aftercare services on recidivism of mental hospital patients.Community Mental Health Journal 1978; 14:26–34.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Hargreaves WA, Glick ID, Drues J, et al.: Short vs long hospitalization: A prospective controlled study.Archives of General Psychiatry 1977; 34:305–311.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Leaf P: Patients released after Wyatt: Where did they go?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1977; 28:366–369.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Strauss JS, Carpenter WT: Prediction of outcome in schizophrenia: Five-year outcome and its predictors.Archives of General Psychiatry 1977; 34:159–163.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Weinstein AS, Dipasquale D, Winsor F: Relationships between length of stay in and out of the New York State mental hospitals.American Journal of Psychiatry 1973; 130(8):904–909.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Surles RC: Data from presentation to New York State Mental Health Services Council, Albany, 1988.

  39. Cochran WG, Cox GM:Experimental Designs. New York: Wiley, 1957.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Siegel S, Castellan NJ:Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Simes RJ: An improved Bonferroni procedure for multiple test of significance.Biometrika 1986; 73:751–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Finder A, Roberts K: Creedmoor’s violent ways.The New York Times 1984; (May 20), p. 6.

  43. Shenon P: Mental patients reported abused at Queens center.The New York Times 1984; (May 14), p. A1.

  44. Shenon P: Creedmoor aide indicted over death.The New York Times 1984; (May 31), p. B5.

  45. Shenon P: Fear and brutality in a Creedmoor ward.The New York Times 1984; (June 18), p. A1.

  46. Shenon P: After inquiry at Creedmoor, 10 resign or face dismissal.The New York Times 1984; (June 19), p. B3.

  47. Sullivan R: Abuse cited in death of Creedmoor patient.The New York Times 1984; (April 25), p. B24.

  48. Douglas CC, Connelly M: City aides assail release of patient in ferry attack.The New York Times 1986; (July 13), p. 6.

  49. Freedman SG: Neighbors noted traits of violence in suspect.The New York Times 1986; (July 9), p. B2.

  50. McFadden RD: Man with sword kills 2 and wounds 9 on S.I. ferry.The New York Times 1986; (July 8), p. A1.

  51. Purdum TS: Police assign teams to all ferries following sword slaying of two.The New York Times 1986; (July 9), p. A1.

  52. Sullivan R: Hospital outlines care of slashing suspect.The New York Times 1986; (July 10), p. B1.

  53. Sullivan R: Doctors had tried to hospitalize suspect in slashing on ferryboat.The New York Times 1986; (July 11), p. A1.

  54. Sullivan R: Ferry slashing report assails hospital for freeing suspect.The New York Times 1986; (July 12), p. 1.

  55. Sullivan R: State faults ferry suspect’s release.The New York Times 1986; (July 19), p. 31.

  56. Sullivan R: State panel criticizes emergency psychiatric care.The New York Times 1986; (August 3), p. 1.

  57. Delusions about mental health.The New York Times 1986; (August 1), p. A26.

  58. Sullivan R: Psychiatric treatment surging since ferry killings.The New York Times 1986; (July 25), p. A1.

  59. Sullivan R: City acts on crowding in its psychiatric wards.The New York Times 1986; (August 14), p. B3.

  60. Sullivan R: Hospitals agree to help city treat disturbed.The New York Times 1986; (August 21), p. B1.

  61. Sullivan R: State asking hospitals to add psychiatric beds.The New York Times 1986; (November 14), p. B3.

  62. Goodman LA: Some alternatives to ecological correlation.American Journal of Sociology 1959; 64:610–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Mental Disability and the Law, National Center for State Courts, 300 Newport Ave., 23187-8798, Williamsburg, VA

    Thomas L. Hafemeister J.D., Ph.D. (Senior Research Associate)

  2. Office of Mental Health, Bureau of Planning, Assistance, and Coordination, State of New York

    Steven M. Banks Ph.D. (director of statistics)

Authors
  1. Thomas L. Hafemeister J.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven M. Banks Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hafemeister, T.L., Banks, S.M. Methodological advances in the use of recidivism rates to assess mental health treatment programs. The Journal of Mental Health Administration 23, 190–206 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02519110

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02519110

Keywords

Search

Navigation