Impact of a community-based 'challenging behaviour' service on bed occupancy

• Published in: Psychiatric bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1995-11, Vol.19 (11), p.660-662
• Main Authors: Perry, David W, Krishnan, Vallepur H. R, Tewari, Sidhartha, Cowan, Colin, Roy, Ashok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggression; Behavior Problems; Challenging behaviour; Community based treatment; Community Mental Health; Learning Disabilities; Learning disabled people; Mental Health Services; Program Evaluation
• ISSN: 1758-3209; 0955-6036; 1758-3217; 1472-1473
• DOI: 10.1192/pb.19.11.660

People with learning disabilities & behavioral disturbances can be difficult to treat in the community, often requiring specialist inpatient assessment. Examined is the impact of a new community-based "challenging behavior service," monitoring the existing admission service, 1941-1993, for possible changes in the number of bed days used in the admissions ward, types of clients admitted, & various programs instituted. The study was conducted in a UK urban area with about 4,000 people with learning disability, 500 using specialized services, & an estimated 30 with severely challenging behaviors. Over the 3 years, a reduction in number of bed days was observed; however, the proportion of patients exhibiting violent behavior increased. This indicates that community-based treatment is effective on patients who exhibit self-injurious behavior but not with outwardly aggressive patients. Cost-effectiveness of the program is also discussed. 3 Tables, 6 References. Adapted from the source document.