中華心理衛生協會

1962 psychotic patients sampled from both communities (N=1,425) and mental hospitals (N=537) were investigated on their sociocultural characteristics and conditions of care and current social function. Low social class with poor education, joblessness, and lack of marital life was found to be characteristic among these patients. 86.3% of community patients lived with their families, and the rest were found to be locked or living alone. Lack of first-degree relatives and unstable mental condition were the main factors leading to custodial care and living alone. A high percentage of patients sought traditional healer for help and the time-lag between the onset of illness and psychiatric treatment was thus delayed considerably. One-fifth of community patients had never sought psychiatric help and half of all patients did not receive any treatment during the investigation period. Only one-third of all patients ever hospitalized had received regular medication after their discharge. Most of the community patients had been withdrawn from the society and only less than 10% had a job. There were 15% of hospitalized patients who could work independently but were unable to return to the community. Most of the patients under custodial care had been locked in ward day by day and had not seen the sunshine for years. They appeared severely retarded. The need of increasing and improving current public mental illness services and welfare was stressed.