Past Issues

Objective: In this study, we intended to identify possible predictors of the clinical outcome in patients receiving community care services provided by Taipei Tzu-Chi Hospital. Methods: We recruited patients with mental illness who received community care services (CCS) between April 1, 2011 and September 30, 2015. We included 319 patients with mental illness in this study. In this cohort study, we compared CCC-participated patients with a favorable or an unfavorable outcomes. Results: The adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of predictors such as having interpersonal conflicts (AHR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.52 - 4.41, and p < 0.01), active psychiatric symptoms (AHR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.14 - 3.46, p < 0.05), and illicit drugs use (AHR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.18 - 4.28, p < 0.05) were significantly higher than those of their control groups, meaning that those three clinical characteristics were predictors of a poor outcome in those CCS patients. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for psychiatric evaluation and intervention for patients with mental illness, comorbid with substance use disorder, or active psychiatric symptoms, and those who have ongoing interpersonal conflicts.