Methods

Participants

Interventions

Outcomes

Notes

Allocation: randomised, block, fully explicit description..
Blinding: single, tested.
Duration: 12‐24 weeks treatment, and then follow up to at least 1 year.

Diagnosis: not prestipulated.
Entry criteria: anyone due admission to hospital ward for psychiatric problems.
N=300.*
Age: adults.
Sex: both.

1. Acute nursing and medical management on general medical wards. N=150.
2. Acute nursing and medical management in a specialist psychiatric unit. N=150.

Global state: relapse, length of stay in hospital.
General functioning.
Behaviour.
Symptoms.
Adverse events.
Satisfaction with care.
Economic outcomes.

* powered to be able to identify a difference of ˜20% between groups for primary outcome with adequate degree of certainty.

Site of admission

Percent of cohort

Mean length of stay

Mental hospital

53

91 days

Psychiatric units of general hospitals

19

28 days

General medical wards in parish hospitals

28

17 days