Mental health is an important aspect in a person's general well-being. About one in four American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Some people are able to manage psychiatric problems at home, while it may be necessary for others to seek treatment at a facility where care is given on a full-time basis. The website for the Surgeon General of the United States defines residential treatment as long-term care where supervised living predominates over active treatment.
History
Families in the Colonial times were responsible for caring for those with mental illnesses. During urbanization, people moved to the city, fewer family members were available to care for those requiring treatment. Burden of care began to shift to the community and government, and a long evolution of residential psychiatric care began.
Intense Treatment
A patient admitted to a residential treatment facility will receive a more intense therapy than as an outpatient. Therapy can include medications prescribed for the treatment of the specific mental illness the patient is suffering, counseling and treatment of any substance abuse problems the patient may have. Patients with substance abuse problems are 59 percent more likely to complete treatment within a short-term residential setting than someone admitted to long-term residential treatment or treatment as an outpatient, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Professional Staff
Residential psychiatric treatment facilities hire trained staff members as part of a psychiatric health team. These mental health care professionals can provide support to the patient that may be more effective than that given by untrained family members and friends. Additionally, this staff may be able to attend to other medical problems the patient may have that exacerbate mental illness, such as controlling blood glucose levels for those with diabetes.
Benefits
There are at least two benefits to residential treatment over outpatient treatment. First, a person may feel safer and more in control of her environment because many of the stresses of daily living are removed. Second, treatments are more intense and a patient may accomplish more in a shorter time than if she were on outpatient treatment.
Finding Treatment
Finding a residential psychiatric treatment facility can be difficult, but there are many resources available to assist in placement that is close to the family, yet provides sufficient mental health care. Consult with a physician to find qualified treatment centers. Also groups such as the American Residential Treatment Association (see Resource) can make shopping for the right treatment easier.
Types of Admissions
There are two types of admission--voluntary and involuntary. It is always preferable for a patient to admit himself to residential psychiatric treatment because he will be more agreeable to treatment, but that is not always possible. A family may choose to involuntarily admit a person to a residential treatment facility when the patient is clearly in danger of hurting himself or others, yet refuses to seek help.
