Objective: the aim of this paper is to communicate a project of short term psychiatric hospitalization, based on a therapeutic community model, considering qualitative and quantitative aspects in the present socio - cultural context.
Introduction: this psychiatric hospitalization model that embraces psychodynamic and pharmacological interventions is focused in the intensity of interactions between members of the therapeutic community and integrated to the administrative structure of a general hospital; this will be the key to consider patient's return to the community and to move forward over the prejudices that inpatients suffer.
Material and methods: quantitative, prospective, observational and transversal study on a Dynamic Psychiatric Inpatient Unit. 605 patients were included.
Results: mean length of stay was 16.34 days; principal causes of admission were depression (19.4%), suicide ideas (17.7%), suicide attempt (17.6%), substance abuse or dependence (14.3%), psychosis (13.8%), behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (6%). There were 75 readmissions. 14.88% patients were physically restrained. Principal Axis I diagnosis were depression (32.1%), substance dependence (13.2%), bipolar disorder (10.2%), dementia (7.6%), schizophrenia (7.5%), and psychotic disorder (5.8). Axis II diagnosis were borderline personality disorder (27.3%), narcissistic personality disorder (8.9%), histrionic personality disorder (5.3%).
Discussion: this kind of approach shows a structural model that allows possible and persistent favorable changes for psychiatric inpatients.