Objective: Differences in the intensity of social psychiatric care for mentally ill people are examined in two communal socio-psychiatric services in Saxony. Service users are subdivided into three groups according to intensity of service use (low utilization, average utilization and high utilization).
Methods: The analyses are based on data from a standardized documentation system in a rural and urban catchment area.
Results: Intensity of care varies with structural parameters (geographical distance between patient home and service, staff resources). A small group (about 20 % of all clients) with a high frequency of contacts with service staff (high users) receive more than 50 % of all care contacts.
Conclusion: Standardized documentation is a good basis for the description of different patterns of service utilization, but more information is needed about service users, e.g. data on their health care needs.